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Wednesday, April 14, 2004 |
TORTURED SOUTH CHINA CHURCH LEADER FEARS FOR HIS LIFE IN PRISON Pastor Gong Shengliang cries for help, human rights watch dog says
By Stefan J. Bos Special Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
BEIJING, CHINA (ANS) -- An apparently tortured leader of the reportedly persecuted South China Church has begged his family and other Christians to put pressure on Chinese authorities to get him transferred to another prison as he fears for his life, ASSIST News Service (ANS) monitored Wednesday, April 14.
Pastor Gong Shengliang has told relatives he may soon die in the feared Hongshan Prison in Wuhan City of Hubei Province, reported the well informed religious rights watchdog The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), which investigates the plight of suffering Christians. "Otherwise just come and pick up my corpse," VOM quoted the pastor as telling his three sisters during a ten minute visit on Monday, April 12.
VOM said it had learned from unidentified sources that Pastor Gong had to be carried into the visiting hall of the prison facility by four other inmates, as he could no longer walk.
"When one of the sisters pressed the guard for an explanation of Gong’s injuries, the guard said the pastor fell while washing windows in the prison," VOM added in a statement seen by ANS. "According to the guard, Gong was washing the inside of the windows, yet somehow fell outside the building."
FALL "INCREDIBLE"
VOM stressed the explanation was hard to believe as the church leader "is accompanied everywhere he goes inside the prison by two guards, making the report of a fall out of a window even more incredible." He is apparently afraid to discuss his injuries openly.
"When Gong was asked about the injury, he first looked at the guard and then said reluctantly, "Yes, I fell,." " VOM said. The organization said the pastor also told his relatives he had stopped writing letters to those outside of prison as he does not have the strength to write. "When I pick up my pen, there are lots of troubles,” VOM quoted him as saying.
VOM added that the prison director, Sun Wenquan, explained to one of his sisters that although Pastor Gong was "a model prisoner in every respect" he 'unfortunately' refused to denounce his faith in Christ, and would not stop praying and preaching. "He is so into the Bible that he has lost touch with reality," the sisters were told, according to VOM.
U.N. INVESTIGATION
The report about his alleged torture came less than two weeks after other persecuted Chinese House Church officials, including sexually abused women, testified for the first time at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights amid claims that the Beijing government is increasing pressure on unregistered churches and active believers.
Analysts say Communist authorities appear concerned they may lose control over the rapidly increasing number of evangelical Christians in China, which is experiencing the fastest church growth in the world. The Chinese authorities have so not commented on the latest developments. But the Beijing Government has reportedly said it will allow the United Nations to carry out an investigation into cases of torture.
VOM has urged Christians to write to the Chinese government on Pastor Gong’s behalf, requesting a transfer of prisons. "The man in charge of the prison says this is a model prisoner," said Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for VOM. "Yet he has already spent 411 days with his arms and legs chained. Without God’s help, this innocent man is not likely to survive many more weeks in Hongshan Prison."
Christians were also requested to letters of encouragement to Pastor Gong at: Gong Shengliang Prison Section Four, Te Yi Hao, Hongshan Prison, Miaoshan Development Zone Jiangxia District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China 430223.
www.assistnews.net
5:14:02 PM
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The Life of Imprisoned House Church Pastor in Danger: "Just come and pick up my corpse", CAA Calls for Help
CAA (Philadelphia) April 13, 2004
Pastor Gong Shengliang, the imprisoned leader of the South China Church, told relatives during a prison visit Monday that he fears for his life in Hongshan Prison, Wuhan City, Hubei Province.
gIf you are able in any way, please transfer me to another prison,h Gong begged his three sisters during a 10-minute visit on Monday. gOtherwise, just come and pick up my corpse.h
CAA sources said that Gong had to be carried into the visiting hall at the prison by four other inmates, as he could not walk. When one of the sisters pressed the guard for an explanation of Gongfs injuries, the guard said that the pastor fell while he was washing windows in the prison. According to the guard, Gong was washing the inside of the windows, yet somehow fell outside the building.
Gong is accompanied everywhere he goes inside the prison by two guards, making the report of a fall out of a window even more incredible.
When Gong was asked about the injury, he first looked at the guard and then said reluctantly, gYes, I fell.h
The sisters were only allowed 10 minutes with Gong, and were separated by two panes of glass and forced to talk via a telephone.
When asked why he had stopped writing letters to those outside of prison, Gong said, gI don't have the strength to write. When I pick up my pen, there are lots of troubles.h
When one of Gongfs sisters complained of his injuries to the prison director, Sun Wenquan, she was told that Gong is a model prisoner in every respect except one: he refuses to denounce his faith in Christ, and he will not stop praying and preaching.
gHe is so into the Bible that he has lost touch with reality,h the sisters were told.
China Aid Association urges all people of faith to write to the Chinese government on Gongfs behalf, requesting a transfer of prisons.
gThe man in charge of the prison says this is a model prisoner,h said Bob Fu, president of CAA, gYet he has already spent 411 days with his arms and legs chained. Without Godfs help, this innocent man is not likely to survive many more weeks in Hongshan Prison.h
People of conscience may also send letters of encouragement directly to Pastor Gong:
Gong Shengliang
Prison Section,Four Te Yi Hao
Hongshan Prison, Miaoshan Development Zone
Jiangxia District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province
People's Republic of China 430223
China Aid Association, Inc.
P. O. Box 263,Glenside, PA 19038 USA TEL: +1-267-205-5210 FAX: 215-886-1668 EMAIL: FXQ02@YAHOO.COM www.ChinaAid.org
4:01:57 PM
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Christianity Today interviews Paul Hattaway authour of "Back To Jerusalem: Called to Complete the Great Commission."
3:30:44 PM
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CHINA: PASTOR GONG SHENGLIANG [RLP]
Pastor Gong Shengliang (53) is the founder and leader of the South China Church (SCC), an evangelical house-church fellowship with some 50,000 members across several provinces. In December 2001, he was convicted and sentenced to death under China's anti-cult legislation. Responding to intense international pressure, China dropped the religious charge and the death penalty and ordered a re-trial. Young women prisoners from the SCC were then savagely beaten, sexually molested and tortured with electric shock until they signed 'confessions' that Pastor Gong had raped them. They later recanted their 'confessions' and were sent to labour camps. However, Pastor Gong was convicted of multiple counts of rape and given a life sentence.
Pastor Gong has been greatly weakened physically by the torture he has suffered during interrogation, worsened further by the prison conditions and frequent mistreatment. Over several weeks in late May and early June 2003, he lapsed in and out of a coma and was bleeding internally. He nearly died from a savage beating in prison in June 2003. Intercessors around the world prayed for him. He lived, but his troubles have not ceased.
A 14 April update from Mr Bob Fu, President of the China Aid Association (CAA), advises that Pastor Gong was permitted a 10- minute visit by his three sisters on Monday 12 April. They report that, unable to walk, he had to be carried to the visiting hall by four other inmates. Pastor Gong told his sisters that he fears for his life and pleaded with them to see if they could have him transferred to another prison. His sisters asked him why he had stopped writing letters to those outside prison. Gong responded, 'I don't have the strength to write. When I pick up my pen, there are lots of troubles.'
CAA reports, 'When one of Gong's sisters complained of his injuries to the prison director, Sun Wenquan, she was told that Gong is a model prisoner in every respect except one: he refuses to denounce his faith in Christ, and he will not stop praying and preaching. "He is so into the Bible that he has lost touch with reality," the sisters were told.' Mr Fu says, '(Pastor Gong) has already spent 411 days with his arms and legs chained. Without God's help, this innocent man is not likely to survive many more weeks in Hongshan Prison.'
Pastor Gong's daughters, Xiaoyan and Huali, are dedicated full time evangelists. His wife Hu Guifang has been seriously traumatised and is in need of our prayers. Please post* Pastor Gong a card that clearly shows from where you are writing. Many words are not necessary (unless you write Chinese). It's best just to indicate you are a fellow believer and are praying for him. Even if the cards never get past prison officials, they make a powerful statement.
* Gong Shengliang Prison Section,Four Te Yi Hao Hongshan Prison, Miaoshan Development Zone Jiangxia District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA 430223
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PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:
* God to intervene so that Pastor Gong will be moved to safety (or have his safety guaranteed), be treated for injuries, and that he will receive justice, which will mean at the very least his release and the overturning of this unjust conviction.
'The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice ... so his own arm worked salvation for him.' (Isaiah 59:15b,16b) 'Many seek an audience with a ruler, it is from the Lord that man gets justice.' (Proverbs 29:26)
* Pastor Gong to be filled with divine strength from the Holy Spirit - the strength that enables weakened and stressed believers to rise up as if on eagle's wings, far above their own capacity or circumstances. (Isaiah 40:28-31)
* God to continue to richly bless the Chinese Church with spiritual power and a continual inflow of new believers, so that eventually and in greater and greater measure, the Chinese Church may be a source of righteousness and justice and God's rich blessings to China. (Isaiah 55:10-13)
Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin - No. 267 - Wed 14 Apr 2004
World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty Prayer List <rl-prayer@crossnet.org.au>
3:23:28 PM
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© 2004 Radio Free China
Last Update: 5/1/2004; 10:25:02 AM

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