International pressure prompts police to return items seized in Chinese house ch

International pressure prompts police to return items seized in Chinese house church raid

The president of the China Aid Association says government officials in China have returned all items confiscated during a raid on two house churches last month, but many Christians in China continue to face persecution.

On April 29, officers with China's Public Security Bureau raided the two house churches in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, and declared the meetings illegal assemblies, confiscating notebook computers, projectors, DVD players, stereos, microphones, Bibles and even the church offering boxes.

All of the items have now been returned to the house churches. Bob Fu is president of the China Aid Association, which initially reported the incident; he says international pressure prompted officials to take action.

"The two church pastors decided to pursue a legal ... appeal, and even decided to take the police to the court," Fu notes. "They don't want to have that," he says, "so the local and actually even the provincial-level Public Security Officers and Religious Affairs officials immediately went to the two pastors and tried to reconcile and promised to reimburse all the expenses for the pew and the offering box that was damaged during the raid."

Fu says the fear of negative impact on foreign investment in the area also prompted officials to drop charges against the house churches. Still, the China Aid Association points out, there are many Christians facing hardship, persecution, and imprisonment throughout China.