All press releases on this site were first published on the CSW website.
CSW marks anniversary of crackdown on Early Rain Church as conditions for Christians worsen
Today, 9 December, marks the second anniversary of a series of raids on Early Rain Church by authorities in Chengdu, China, in which police searched church members’ homes and arrested over 100 seminary students, church members and leaders, including Pastor Wang Yi. Two years on, Wang Yi and one of…
Concerns remain for detained activist on hunger strike
CSW has reiterated calls for the release of detained Chinese human rights defender Zhang Zhan, amid continued concerns for her health and wellbeing. 14 November will mark six months since Zhang, a Christian and former lawyer, was detained by Chinese authorities. Zhang had travelled to Wuhan, the epicentre of the…
CSW publishes briefing on impact of technology on freedom of religion or belief
A new briefing on the impact of technology on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in China, published today by CSW, cautions that “Technology can have a wide range of positive effects; however, its ability to facilitate violations of FoRB and other fundamental rights and freedoms is evident, and must…
Fears for health of Christian activist on hunger strike in detention
CSW has called on China to release Christian human rights defender and former lawyer Zhang Zhan, who has spent over 150 days in detention, amid fears for her health since she began a hunger strike to protest her arbitrary detention. Zhang was detained on 14 May after posting videos and…
Village notice prohibits conversion to Christianity
New ‘village rules’ introduced in Huang Fei village, Yingjiang County in Yunnan, near the China-Burma border, state that anyone who converts to Christianity will face financial penalties or even the confiscation of their land. Huang Fei village is inhabited by members of the Dai ethnic group. The notice, seen by…
Exclusive briefing on targeting of house churches amid the COVID-19 pandemic
CSW has today published a new briefing containing extracts and analysis from an exclusive report by an experienced China researcher into the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on unregistered Protestant ‘house’ churches in China. Although the report author’s identity is known to CSW, it cannot be made public due to…
Vatican extends agreement with Beijing amid freedom of religion or belief concerns
Pope Francis has signed off on a two-year extension of an agreement with the Chinese government on the appointment of bishops, according to Reuters. Catholics inside China and observers worldwide have raised concerns about the decision to extend the controversial agreement at a time of increasing violations of the right…
Mongolian-speaking families resist government’s new language policy for schools
NGOs and faith groups welcome call by former Archbishop of Canterbury and over 75 faith leaders
Stop Uyghur Genocide, the World Uyghur Congress, the Coalition for Genocide Response, CSW and the Board of Deputies of British Jews welcome the release of a statement today by leaders of faith and belief communities calling for action to stop atrocity crimes against the Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous…