Posted on 01/08/2002 6:41:52 PM PST by super175
China warned the United States last night not to interfere in its legal affairs after President George W. Bush expressed deep concern over the fate of a Hong Kong man facing the death penalty for allegedly smuggling Bibles into the mainland.
US administration officials said Mr Bush had asked the State Department to make urgent inquiries into the plight of businessman Lai Kwong-keung, who may be tried as early as Saturday. A formal protest to Beijing is being considered.
The US Consulate in Hong Kong contacted a friend of Lai's yesterday and asked him to follow up the case with Lai's wife on the mainland and his sister in the SAR.
Lai, 38, was arrested on May 31 in Fujian with two mainlanders - Yu Zhudi and Lin Xifu, both 42 - while allegedly transporting 16,280 Bibles from Shenzhen to an underground Christian group called the "Shouters" in Fuqing city. The three have been charged with "using a cult to undermine enforcement of the law".
Lai has also been accused of arranging to have 16,800 Bibles smuggled on April 1 from Hong Kong to Fuqing via Shenzhen.
Yu and Lin are alleged to be members of the Shouters group, which has 500,000 followers.
US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said: "The President is deeply concerned . . . We call upon China as a member of the international community to meet international standards on the freedom of religious expression and freedom of conscience."
US concerns have so far been communicated to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, though not at an ambassadorial level.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi said yesterday that no country should interfere with China's judicial affairs.
"Actually, it's not a case of smuggling Bibles. The Bibles were used as a pretext. They smuggled a large amount of cult publications," he said. "It's being dealt with according to the law."
The Public Security Ministry issued a document in 1996 listing the Shouters as a banned cult. The anti-cult law used to charge Lai was adopted in 1999 as part of a crackdown on Falun Gong. Lai is believed to be the first Hong Kong man charged under the law.
A friend said Lai was not a member of the Shouters and was only helping the delivery on behalf of another Christian group, the Living Stream Ministry, based in Anaheim, California.
Lai's wife, who insists her husband is innocent, said: "How could the Bible, which is circulated and recognised worldwide, be cult material?"
The director of the Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, Frank Lu Siqing, said Lai's case showed that Beijing's claims of increased religious freedom on the mainland were false.
Lai's sister has sent a petition to Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa and Premier Zhu Rongji. Mr Tung's office said it had passed the letter to the Security Bureau, which said it had been following up Lai's case.
The associate director of Chinese University's Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, Professor Lau Siu-kai, said Mr Bush's comments would add to the pressure on Beijing.
"I think the mainland will act prudently to avoid ruining relations with the US or other Western countries, where Christianity is a dominant religious belief, and to avoid giving an impression that it's banning Christianity," he said.
Mr Bush's interest comes as his administration seeks to dampen fears that he will go easy on human rights with countries such as China to ensure support for his war on terrorism. Congressional sources said the pressure was expected to mount as the perceived terrorist threat faded.
I don't respect a man who beats women in whatever case. As for beating kids, there may be various reasons. I'm not the kind of person who likes to interfere other people's business. A Chinese saying: Never get involved in other people's familiy affairs.
Even in Chinese?
More Anti-Christian bigotry from the atheist leftist presstitutes.
I guess when Gen Dwight Eisenhower wrote his masterpiece "CRUSADE IN EUROPE" everyone didn't get their panties in a wad.
I'm not against America saying something at the right time on the right thing. But the cult is not popular among Chinese. Let's look at one of the examples of power abuse in China, the forced relocation of residents to give way for new projects. Why does the US government say anything about it? There is buman rights abues here. Why does the US government keep silent? Because the foreced reloacation serves the interets of the capitalists, including American capitalists. I have the impression that the US governments by no means cares about average Chines people. It cares only about the American capitalists' inetersts in China. Yes, the sweat shop in China is also a problem. Why doesnt the US say anything about the slave labor? Because the American capitalists like it.
When are we going to start doing this to a few countries that want to tell us how to conduct our business?
NOPE...............ANYTHING else is NOT "HOLY" Scripture of Creator/Redeemer-GOD, but UNholy philosophy of Creature/Sinner-humans!
Bottom Line:: ABSOLUTE TRUTH verses creature-human opinion/philosophies.
(Romans 10:17) (2nd Timothy 3:16,17) (2nd Peter 3:15,16) (1st Corinthians 15:1-4)
(1st Timothy 3:16) (Acts 26:8) (St. Luke 24:39)
We don't kill people for owning or transporting Bibles.
This is the best sarcasm I've seen all day!!
You were being sarcastic, weren't you?
Believe it or not, God allows His people to speak other languages than English. KJV is an English translation.
Secondly, KJV was not created until 1611. Are you saying that there was no legitimate Scripture from A.D. 33-1611?
I really don't feel like arguing about this. It's just too silly.
Thanks.
#12, then #28
LOL
The LAST Apostle was John!!
There are NO living Apostles!
ALL have died, John being the LAST!
LOL
Therefore, since John, neither Scofield nor anyone else is an Apostle.
LOL,.....Scofield is NOT an Apostle.
LOL
But, his writings are at times interesting.
Some say that his 'Scofield Reference Bible' is worth reading.
But, Scofield is NOT an Apostle!!...LOL
You can't be serious, can you?
You are equating capital punishment for people have committed heinous cromes, usually mass murder with distributing a book?
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