Welcome to China Voices, a CSW quarterly update on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in China.
The cases cited in this edition have either been reported publicly, including from various websites in China (* indicates Chinese language links), or privately through CSW sources. Our special thanks go to China Aid, RFA, Weiquanwang (Rights Defense Network), Tibet Watch and Bitter Winter.
For feedback or further information, please contact .
During Q4 2021, we recorded 80 incidents, including 12 cases where people were given custodial sentences in connection with their faith.
Among those sentenced most harshly are an imam in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), who was jailed for 23 years for reciting the Quran, and a factory worker in southwestern China, who received 10 years for practising Falun Gong.
This quarter started with National Day on 1 October, which typically brings tighter restrictions on faith communities. In XUAR, more than 170 Uyghurs were interrogated* by police in Hotan for “showing negative attitude towards the National Day flag-raising event”, while a large number of Kazakhs were placed under house arrest in Ili. In Shanghai, several Christians were detained or harassed for meeting together for worship or Bible study.
In early December, just before the UK-based Uyghur Tribunal published its judgment, concluding that the Chinese state has committed genocide against Uyghur and other Turkic Muslim populations, China’s leader Xi Jinping spoke at a national religious work conference (Part 1).
The Chinese authorities then published new measures on sharing religious information online (Part 1). These are due to take effect in March 2022, but their informal implementation has already begun. Recent incidents include phone apps for reading the holy books of Islam and Christianity, as well as Audible (Amazon’s audiobook service), being removed from the Apple store in mainland China in October, in response to government pressure or permit requirements. In addition, Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has drafted new rules prohibiting the provision of tools for accessing overseas websites blocked by China.
As in recent years, religious observance of Christmas was only allowed in a limited number of registered churches across the country. In some areas, schools were prohibited from organising Christmas related events. The State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA), the state body overseeing religion under the supervision of United Front Work Department, plays a role in bringing religion into line under the Party’s control (Part 2).
The surge of police operations against Christian schools continued across the country this quarter. The authorities targeted schools in at least 10 cities. Christian schoolteachers, religious leaders, publishers, booksellers and conference participants have been arrested or sentenced to jail (Part 4).
China has once again been designated by the US a “Country of Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom”. FoRB defenders featured in this edition include a female Muslim, a group of Christians, and five human rights lawyers (Part 3).
Click to download the China Voices Quarterly of Q4, 2021
