China Frees Five Jailed Bible Study Christians
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BEIJING (Worthy News) – Five Christians detained since August 2022 for leading Bible studies have been freed on bail by authorities in China’s Yunnan Province, well-informed Christians Wednesday.
The believers were freed on May 7 in Yunnan’s rural Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture area, said Christian rights activists involved in the case.
They were identified as three ethnic Nu men from the area, Wang Shunping, Nu Sangdeng, and San Luobo, and two women from elsewhere in China, Hua Xiuxia and Dong Mengru.
The five believers were detained for “organizing and sponsoring an illegal gathering” in early August 2022, Christians said.
Four other Christians participating in the Bible study were taken into custody on January 12 this year but released five days later, according to Christians familiar with the case.
Yet, the gathering wasn’t preparing extremism but only “consisted of prayer and free Bible and music lessons for young people,” added Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), an advocacy group supporting the Christians.
MIXED RECEPTION
CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas told Worthy News that his group is “pleased to hear that these Christians were released on bail” but calls for the dropping of all charges against them.
“It is unacceptable that they were detained for nine months simply for providing Bible and music lessons to an ethnic minority community in a disadvantaged area in China,” he said.
“We continue to call on the Chinese authorities to respect the right of all citizens, including children and young people,” Thomas explained.
“They should have] freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, and to release all those detained for participating in peaceful religious activities,” he added.
There has been mounting pressure on minority Christians since President Xi Jinping came to power in the Communist-led nation in 2013, according to Christian rights groups.