President Bush Visited Officially Staged Church Service; House Church Pastor Hua Huiqi Arrested and Escaped from Police Custodyby Staff
August 11, 2008
BEIJING, (christiansunite.com) -- Submitted by Beijing Church Reporter, Zhang Lujia: Yesterday, President Bush visited TSPM's Kuanjie Church established by the government and attended a service. As a result of this, Brother Hua Huiqi, renowned Christian social activist in Beijing, was arrested once again by the Chinese police.
At about 6 a.m. this morning Beijing time, brother Hua Huiqi and his 51-year-old brother Hua Huilin were illegally arrested by the Chinese police on their way to Kuanjie Church. The two brothers were detained in the courtyard of Hong Kong New World Development Limited Company in the vicinity of Chongwen Gate of Beijing. At about noon, Hua Huiqi took an opportunity and fled. He is now at large.
Over 10 years ago, Hua Huiqi was baptized at Kuanjie Church. Later, he began to worship in house churches. As the Olympic Games were scheduled to be held in Beijing, Hua Huiqi's movement came under the surveillance of the Chinese police in the past few months. As a result, Brother Hua and his family had to go back to Kuanjie Church to attend the services.
As President Bush was to visit Kuanjie Church, Brother Hua Huiqi was prohibited by the police to go there for services. However, Brother Hua thinks the police's ban does not have a legal basis and is totally unreasonable. So he decided to refuse to obey. This morning, Brother Hua Huiqi successfully got rid of the police placed on his surveillance and met with his brother Hua Huilin. Then, they rode bikes and were bound for Kuanjie Church. At a place about 1.5 kilometers from the church, they were arrested by the police. Ingenious arrangements had been made at TSPM's Kuanjie Church established by the government to welcome the visit of US President Bush on August 10.
High-ranking officials from the Public Security Bureau, Bureau of Security, Bureau of Religion and TSPM/China Christian Council met at Kuanjie Church established by the government and there, they made ingenious arrangements for the visit of US President Bush on August 10. They won't give the ordinary believers of the church a chance to meet President Bush or overseas media. They will also drive the ordinary believers out of the church before and after President Bush's visit.
Informed sources have disclosed that a red slip of procedure for the worship ceremony is a mark for their identification. The red slips have been distributed before noon Yesterday. Most people President Bush and the overseas media will meet in the church are security people, political workers and people trained by them to pose as believers.
An old believer who was baptized at Kuanjie Church nearly 20 years ago complained: "Whether you are a believer or not, no one is allowed to enter the church. When President Bush comes tomorrow, where can we do our Sunday service?" Another believer who lives nearby Kuanjie Church joked: "President Bush is coming to preach the Gospel to those who don't believe in the Lord (referring to those police officers and officials). We are already believers, so we certainly don't have to come here tomorrow."
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