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Chinese House Church Sues County Religious Affairs Bureau

By Howard M. Friedman

Human Rights in China reported yesterday that for the first time a lawsuit has been filed against a government religious authority in China. Wang Yi filed suit on behalf of a Christian house church in Chengdu city-- the Qiuyu Blessings Church. They are suing the Shuangliu County Bureau of People's Religious Affairs for raiding and later banning a religious gathering held by the church in May at a resort hotel. Wang says the order banning the event failed to specify what regulations were violated. However this week when the complaint was filed, the judge refused to accept it saying that Wang furnished insufficient evidence to support the claim. The government often relies on a ban on religious activities taking place in "non-religious" locations, found in 2005 Regulations, to raid house churches.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on September 19, 2008 (boomark / email).