Written by Katie Ascough

Six countries are highlighted as having worsened in Christian persecution in the 2017-19 edition of the Persecuted and Forgotten report published by Aid to the Church in need (due to be released in Ireland during the Week of Witness 25 Nov – 1 Dec). 

Today we will take a snapshot of the deepening crisis in three of these countries: China, Burma (Myanmar), and the Philippines. 

CHINA

In China, the new 2018 Regulations on Religious Affairs have introduced numerous restrictions to the Christian faith, including limiting many religious activities to registered sites. There are also fears that China’s new “social credit system” – designed to reward good citizenship and punish bad – will be used to discriminate against Christians.

Education in China is used for social conditioning. In some regions pupils were reportedly made to sign a statement saying they will “promote atheism, and oppose belief in God”.

Despite the September 2018 agreement between the Vatican and China, the Catholic Church’s status continues to be complex: two underground bishops were formally replaced by bishops from the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association; and even after the agreement, state agents destroyed Marian shrines in Shanxi and Guizhou. Christian clergy are still subject to arbitrary arrest and building regulations are increasingly used as a pretext for church demolitions.

In April 2018 the Bible was banned from sale online ahead of a new version compatible with Sinicisation and socialism. In November 2018 Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin of Wenzhou was arrested for the fifth time in two years. Reports suggested that the bishop of the “underground” Catholic Church would be held in isolation and subject to indoctrination in Communist ideology for 10-15 days. 

At 8pm on the evening of Sunday 24 February 2019, 44 members of the Early Rain Covenant Church – including 11 children – were taken into custody in Chengdu city. One officer savagely beat the pastor’s mother, grabbing her hair and kicking her, while another held her down. Most members were released in the early hours of Monday between 2am and 6am, and 11 were placed in administrative detention.

In December 2018 local authorities had formally closed the church, arresting Pastor Wang-Yi and 160 Christians, for “inciting subversion of state power”. Finally, in March 2019 Chinese officials in Guangzhou city introduced cash rewards for those who inform on underground churches and other “unofficial” places of worship. Those with useful information would receive 100 yuan (€12.74), which could rise to 10,000 yuan – about two months’ average salary – for those who help identify and arrest ministers and members from unofficial religious groups.

BURMA (MYANMAR)

In Burma (Myanmar), San Htoi of Kachin Women’s Association (Thailand) describes the targeting of Christians as “an invisible war”. Despite a genocidal campaign being waged by the Burmese army against Kachin State’s 1.6 million inhabitants – of whom 90-95 per cent are Christian (Roman Catholic or Baptist) – international reports have been slow to acknowledge the Kachin people's predominantly Christian identity. 

Kachin Christians have been killed, raped, tortured, and used to “clear” landmine-peppered areas. Women and girls have been trafficked as brides to China. Three thousand villages have been burnt to the ground in the past decade and over 200 churches destroyed since 2011. The 2017 US Department of State religious freedom report called the plight of the 100,000 displaced Christians living in camps and thousands stranded in jungle terrain “desperate and unsustainable” while the UN branded the violence “crimes against humanity”. 

According to the US Department of State, minority religions in the country, including Christians, saw religious property and texts destroyed. They were also denied permits for religious buildings and renovations. Chin State blocked Christian groups and churches from buying land in the name of their religious organisations for the purpose of worship. 

Christians also experienced discrimination in employment. In Karen State, Christians were issued with identification cards from central government stating they were Buddhist despite specifying that they were “Christians” on their applications. Officials refused to amend the cards.

In June 2018, two nuns were attacked by locals in Pataekyaw Village, Ann Township. Later, a priest who reported the incident was beaten by a Buddhist mob. In September 2018 a UN report noted the torture and ill-treatment of Kachin Christians by soldiers. [O]ne Christian victim was made to imitate Jesus on a cross like the crucifixion by military intelligence agents.

In September 2018 200 Christian leaders were detained, churches were destroyed, and severe limits were imposed on worship, teaching, and evangelisation by United Wa State Army (UWSA) authorities which control the Wa Self-Administered Division in Shan State. 

In December 2018 on Christmas Eve a mob of 50 people, including three monks in Setsi Village, Rakhine State, attacked a group of Christians during a Christmas service in a temporary shelter. One pastor was admitted to hospital with injuries sustained during the attack.

PHILIPPINES

In the Philippines, the killing of 22 Sunday Massgoers and the maiming of more than 100 others in Jolo’s Catholic cathedral in January 2019 removed all doubt about the continuing threat posed by Islamist militants.

Fear was still high following on from the siege of Marawi by Islamist extremists, who were finally defeated in October 2017 after a five-month siege. Much of Marawi city was damaged including the Catholic Cathedral. Vicar General Father Teresito Suganob and 15 other Christians were kidnapped. Over that time, more than 1,000 people died and 400,000 were displaced. 

President Rodrigo Duterte has been antagonistic to the Catholic Church throughout his time in office, calling Catholic clergy explicit names for criticising his shoot-to-kill drugs policy and various Catholic organisations have been targeted by government agencies. The Catholic Media Network radio broadcaster had its licence renewal blocked in Congress and a number of priests have been shot by unknown assailants. Such attacks may have been provoked by opposition to their activism in upholding the Church’s social teaching; for example, Father Marcelito Paez was killed after helping to get a political prisoner released.

In April 2018 71-year-old Sister Patricia Fox was arrested and detained by the Immigration Bureau. The Australian nun, who had worked in the country for 27 years, was arrested for “illegal political activities”. Although released the next day, she was ordered to leave the country within 30 days. Redemptorist Priest Oliver Castor saw the move as the government trying to “stop the Church’s work with the poor”.

In June 2018 Fr Richmond Nilo was shot dead as he was preparing to say evening Mass in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija Province. Two unidentified gunmen shot at the priest through a window. He was the third priest to be killed in six months.

In December 2018 President Rodrigo Duterte verbally attacked Catholic bishops saying: “These bishops that you guys have, kill them. They are useless fools. All they do is criticise.” The remarks followed further Church opposition to the president’s war on drugs in which more than 20,000 have been killed since its launch in 2016. 

January 2019 saw two bombs exploding during Sunday Mass in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Jolo, on 27 January, killing at least 22 people and wounding more than 100 others. Responsibility was claimed by Daesh (ISIS)-affiliated Islamist group Abu Sayyaf. 

CONCLUSION

The war on Christians wages on in “invisible”, though ever more visible, ways. China, Burma (Myanmar), and the Philippines are only three of the six countries that ACN United Kingdom identifies as having worsened in Christian persecution in 2017-2019 compared to 2015-2017. We can only imagine the countries not listed in the report where persecution continues to advance in wreaking havoc on humanity. 

With the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church taking place this Sunday, 3 November, it is important to remember our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering and dying for their Christian faith across the world.

All information with credit to 2017-19 edition of Persecuted and Forgotten by ACN UK.

Aid to the Church in Need is Ireland’s leading charity for protecting the rights of Christians and supporting the suffering and persecuted Church. ACN supports more than 5,000 projects in around 150 countries each year, helping Christians live out their Faith wherever they are persecuted, oppressed, or in need.

Please take the time to find out more so that you can be their voice.

Thank you.