All press releases on this site were first published on the CSW website.
New administrative rules on religion come into force amid ongoing restrictions
On 1 February new administrative regulations came into effect in China, which set out measures on the structure and function of religious organisations, as well as supervision and administration by the authorities. According to a translation by Bitter Winter, Article 5 states that “Religious organizations must support the leadership of…
Religious communities and activists targeted over the Christmas period must not be forgotten
The period between Christmas and New Year saw further human rights violations against religious communities, activists and lawyers in China, including arbitrary detention, harassment and restrictions on religious activities. On 26 December, Pastor Wang Yi, who leads the Early Rain Church in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China, was sentenced to nine years…
Pastor Wang Yi Sentenced to nine years in prison
Pastor Wang Yi, who leads the Early Rain Church in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China, has been sentenced to nine years in prison following his conviction on charges of ‘inciting to subvert state power’ and ‘illegal business operations’. The Early Rain Church Facebook page links to a court statement and states…
UK calls for immediate and unfettered UN access to Xinjiang
The UK Foreign Office has called on China to allow United Nations (UN) observers “immediate and unfettered” access to the country’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). The call comes after two leaks which provided further evidence of mass arbitrary detentions in Xinjiang, where it is estimated that between one and…
CSW welcomes international statement on Xinjiang
CSW welcomes a joint statement by 23 countries calling on the Chinese government to uphold its national laws and international obligations, and commitments to respect human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, in Xinjiang and across China. The statement was delivered on 29 October on behalf of the group…
Guizhou Christians forced to stop all activities
Authorities in China have accused Christians in Guizhou of carrying out ‘illegal religious activities’ and forced them to stop meeting together with immediate effect. Authorities also confiscated furniture, a projector and other property. The Christians are all former members of Living Stone Church. A notice issued by the authorities and…
22 states call on China to end arbitrary detention of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang
22 United Nations (UN) Member States have co-signed a letter calling on China to end the arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in Northwest China. The letter, dated 8 July and addressed to the President of the UN Human Rights Council and High…
CSW statement on 30th anniversary of Tiananmen Square Massacre
CSW has released a statement to mark the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in China on 4 June 2019. In June 1989, Chinese army troops brutally supressed peaceful protests for freedom and democracy, killing and wounding thousands of people in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. To mark the 30th…
Religious freedom crackdown continues in ‘new low point’
Authorities in Jiangsu, China demolished 5,911 temples within one month, according to a report released by the Christian human rights organisation ChinaAid on 23 April. The report comes days after a new European Parliament resolution on China which expresses concern about the increasingly repressive treatment faced by religious and ethnic minorities. In…
Early Rain Church members remain in detention
Members of Early Rain Church in China continue to be detained, disappeared and harassed following a crackdown on the church in December 2018. A social media post by the church dated 20 March reports that 11 members are still in criminal detention, including Pastor Wang Yi and his wife Jiang…