"Protest and
Silence"
One evening in November I
attended a brief prayer service and a full briefing by the
Christian Solidarity World-wide, Hong Kong Chapter, at The
Methodist Church. It was less than two years ago that Ben
Rogers arrived from London for legalwork here. Ben was asked
by the world headquarters of CSW in the UK to organise a
Hong Kong Chapter. Judging from the 50 or more persons who
showed up for the briefing, he has done a good
job.
A Roman Catholic priest from
East Timor, Father Fernandez, told us about the struggles in
his parish there. Then two Pakistani Christians, Robert and
Salamat, told why they are under criminal prosecution for
having violating Pakistan's strict anti-blasphemy laws.
Salamat because he converted from Islam two years ago and
Robert because he helped him. These young men recently
visited with our confirmation class at CCHK. Their witness
is scary. It still is very costly in many places to follow
Christ.
Finally, Mervyn Thomas, who 20
years ago helped found CWS in the UK, spoke to us of the
continuing need for a group who monitors the persecuted
Church and tries to protect the human rights of Christians.
In our own backyard of China there are ongoing instances of
the official persecution of Christians and the Church which
has been a mark of forty years of Marxist rule.
East Timor is the current "hot"
case and Father Fernandez said that at least four priests
and four nuns, along with many more laity, have been
murdered by the militias in the upheaval accompanying the
recent election there.
Less known Asian areas of
persecution of Christians are Burma and Nepal.
Community Church gave financial
support to CSW Hong Kong about a year ago. Although I was
not able to rouse anyone to accompany me to the CSW
briefing, I still hope some persons from our congregation
will see this network of volunteers as requiring our
interest.
My only disappointment regarding
this public meeting to evaluate persecution of Christians in
Asia was the absence of any mention of the current vendetta
against the Falun Gong in China. The reaction of the Chinese
Government to this Buddhist/Taoist sect is mammoth overkill
by a scared bureaucracy. The crime of the Falun Gong is that
last April 25, about l0,000 adherents managed to evade the
security radar of the Chinese Government and stage a
sit-down around Zhongnanhai, the party compound adjacent to
Tiannamen Square and the Forbidden City.
This exercise of freedom in what
the Chinese Government describes as a "free society" was
such an affront to Zjiang Zemin that the state has gone all
out to arrest, intimidate and destroy this spiritual sect.
What disturbs me is that I have heard no Christian defense.
No surprise that the Christians within China are keeping
quiet, but what excuse for the Christians in Hong Kong and
elsewhere?
It seems to me that when one
group is persecuted for religious expression, all groups are
in danger. The determination of the Chinese Government to
suppress the Falun Gong, an effort facilitated by the
conspiracy of silence, augurs poorly for the hoped for
growth of Christian freedom in China.
Pastor Gene
Preston