Day: December 3, 2009

Egypt: Outrage over Swiss vote on minarets, while Egypt oppresses Coptic Christians

Egypt: ‘City of a thousand minarets’ disgruntled at Swiss vote
— Daily Telegraph: “But official reactions will be subdued in a country – Egypt – where minority Coptic Christians wanting to build new churches have been met with strong resistance”
— “Official reactions will also be subdued in a country where minority Coptic Christians wanting to build new churches have been met with strong resistance, and where a draft law on the issue in parliament has been blocked.”

— R.E.A.L. Reports on Egyptian Oppression of Coptic Christians

Pakistan: “Make slavery history, civil society urges government”

Pakistan: “Make slavery history, civil society urges government”
— Pakistan Daily Times: “Activists maintain that slavery still exists in Pakistan in the form of bonded labour, human trafficking, forced marriages, and the exploitation of women and chiuldren. They stressed that legislation outlawing slavery should be properly implemented.”
— “They also urged the government to legislate to stop internal human trafficking, which was still not acknowledged as a crime in Pakistan.”
— “They urged parliament to assert its authority to improve the human rights condition of the country and to end slavery. Talking to Daily Times, HRCP Vice Chairman Dr Mehdi Hasan said that slavery did not exist on paper, but in reality it was very much present in Pakistan. Dr Mehdi said that laws outlawing such activities did exist, but were unfortunately not implemented. He said civil society, the media and parliament needed to shift their priorities, they needed to talk more about the issues of the common man.”

UK – Tulay Goren “Honor Killing” Trial: Prosecution Says Accused Lying About Not Killing Tulay Goren

UK – Tulay Goren “Honor Killing” Trial: The three brothers accused of killing Tulay Goren are lying, Old Bailey jury told

Waltham Forest Guardian reports:

— “THREE brothers accused of killing a teenager in a so-called honour killing are lying to escape jail, a court heard.”

— “Tulay Goren, 15, disappeared from her home in Glastonbury Avenue, Woodford Green, in January 1999.”

— “The teenager’s father Mehmet Goren, 49, of Navestock Crescent, Woodford Green, and her uncles Ali Goren, of Brettenham Road, Walthamstow and Cuma Goren, of Evesham Avenue, Walthamstow, all deny murder.”

— “At the Old Bailey today, Jonathan Laidlaw, summing up the proscution case, said all three men were lying to try to escape conviction.”

— “He reminded the jury that Tulay’s mother had told the court that Ali was the most senior member of the family and fed and clothed Memet’s family both in Turkey and the UK, yet Ali denied being involved in Mehmet’s family’s affairs.”

Tulay Goren
Tulay Goren

Columbus, Ohio – Rifqa Bary Case: “Runaway convert told to talk religion with Muslim parents”

“Runaway convert told to talk religion with Muslim parents”
AP reports:
— “A case-management plan filed Monday said Rifqa Bary and her parents should hear what each has to say about Islam and Christianity as a step toward a possible reunification.”
— “But the plan, written by Margaret Shirk, a Franklin County Children Services Board caseworker, also said ‘severe differences’ exist between the 17-year-old girl and her parents over what led Rifqa to run away to Florida over the summer.”
— “The girl has said she feared her father would harm or kill her for leaving Islam. Her father has denied the claim.”

— Plan offers way to reunite runaway teen convert and family

— Religious rift still keeping Rifqa, parents apart
— Columbus Dispatch: “Everyone involved in the Rifqa case, including Children Services employees, is under a gag order. O’Leary spoke in general terms about case plans.”
— “A caseworker developed the plan with Rifqa and her parents, but only Children Services workers signed it. Rifqa and her parents disagree with the plan, and so does the guardian the court appointed for her, according to the paperwork filed with the court on Monday.”

Rifqa Bary, 17 - reports say she is threatened with death by her family in Ohio for converting from Islam to Christianity
Rifqa Bary, 17 - reports say she is threatened with death by her family in Ohio for converting from Islam to Christianity

Communist China: 5 More Church Leaders Sentenced to Prison Without Trial

China Aid reports: “5 Linfen-Fushan Church Leaders Sentenced to Re-Education through Labor Without Trial”

“SHANXI–After the Chinese government sentenced five church leaders to 3 to 7 years criminal detention on Wednesday, November 25th, ChinaAid learned that on November 30, 2009, five more church leaders from Linfen Church, Shanxi, were each sentenced to two years in re-education through labor camps–an arbitrary administrative sentence by the Public Security Bureau enacted so the leaders would not be ‘required’ to go through the court and prosecution system. The sentence was said to be effective from November 11th, when they were already detained.”

“The five Christian leaders are Mr. Li Shuangping, Ms. Yang Hongzhen, Ms. Yang Caizhen (whose husband, Pastor Yang Xuan received 3 years sentence by the court on November 25), Ms. Gao Qin (also known as Gao Fuqin), and Ms. Zhao Guoai. Among the five, ChinaAid has confirmed three members’ 2-year re-education through labor sentences through family members, including Yang Caizhen, Yang Hongzhen and Mr. Li Shuangping.”

“The other two members’ sentences were confirmed indirectly by Linfen-Fushan church leaders. These two latter cases were very difficult to confirm definitively at the time, because the family members have been held under severe government surveillance. The five church leaders were accused of  “gathering people to disturb the public order,” referring to their organization of a one-thousand-believer prayer rally held on September 14, the day after the church was attacked by over 400 military police. (Click here to view the video of the Prayer rally held on 9/14/2009.) 17 church buildings were destroyed and over 30 believers were seriously wounded during the unprecedented mob attack in the early morning of Sunday, September 13. Linfen House Church Christians continue to be monitored by Chinese military police, including neighboring Golden Lampstand Church (Jin Dongtai) in Linfen City.”

Sister Yang Caizhen (L) was one of 5 sentenced to 2-years Re-education through Labor, for organizing the Sept. 14 prayer rally. (ChinaAid)
Sister Yang Caizhen (L) was one of 5 sentenced to 2-years Re-education through Labor, for organizing the Sept. 14 prayer rally. (ChinaAid)

Communist China: Church Leaders Complaining About Church Destruction Get 7 and 3 Years in Prison

China Aid reports: “Fushan House Church Christian Sentenced to 7-Years in Prison”

“Senior Pastors Yang Rongli and Wang Xiaoguang were sentenced to 7 and 3 years in prison respectively, at the show trial.”

“SHANXI–ChinaAid just learned that the trial of Linfen house church leaders in Shanxi province was held from 9:00 AM to about 10:00 PM on November 25 (Beijing time), lasting over 12 hours. Pastors Yang Rongli, Wang Xiaoguang, Yang Xuan, Cui Jiaxing, and Zhang Huamei have been been held in detention since their unwarranted arrests on Friday, September 25, 2009, when they attempted to travel to Beijing an lodge a formal complaint about the destruction of their church to the Central governing authorities. Their trial was held in the No. 12 Trial Room at People’s Court of Raodu District, Linfen City, Shanxi province.”

“The verdicts were severe and were announced immediately following the trial. Two criminal charges were used– the crime of “illegally occupying farming land” and “disturbing transportation order by gathering masses.”  Sister Yang Rongli received 7 years severe sentence for both charges; Pastor Wang 3 yrs for the first charge, brother Yang Xuan, 3 and a half years, and Cui Jiaxing earned 4 and a half years for the first charge; Sister Zhang Huamei was found guilty of the second charge, and sentenced to 4 years in prison.”

“Sister Yang Rongli and Pastor Wang Xiaoguang’s son was able to briefly chat with his parents during one recess time near the bathroom outside the court room. Sister Yang and Pastor Wang encouraged their son to stand firm in his faith in Christ. Yang and Wang have led the Fushan church, part of the 50,000 members house church network in Linfen and the surrounding villages, for more than 30 years. The Fushan Church leaders unwarranted arrests, detentions, and severe sentences after the massive church destruction on September 13, marks one of the worst crackdown on house church leaders in the past decade.”

Fushan House Church Attack -- China Aid Report
Fushan House Church Attack -- China Aid Report

See also:

Communist China: Report on Communist Mob of 400 Attacking Christians and Fushan House Church – Mob Reportedly included “Government Officials and Police”

Communist China: Video of Crackdown on Fushan Church

Germany: Human Rights Groups Call for EU to Suspend Preferential Trade to Communist China

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: LAOGAI RESEARCH FOUNDATION CALLS ON EU TO SUSPEND PREFERENTIAL TRADE ACCESS FOR CHINA UNDER THE GSP

Bredenbeck, Germany, December 1, 2009-  The Laogai Research Foundation (LRF), in association with the International Society for Human Rights (Frankfurt), formally call on the European Commission to suspend the People’s Republic of China’s non-reciprocal preferential access to the EU market provided under the GSP scheme until China stops exporting products to the EU made in the Laogai, China’s vast system of forced labor prison camps.

The Laogai not only serves to suppress dissent; it also functions as a massive source of free labor.   Inmates within the Laogai system are forced to labor long hours in abusive conditions.  LRF has documented cases where inmates were working 16-18 hours a day in mines with no protective gear, handling battery acid with no gloves, and standing naked in vats of tanning chemicals. The Laogai Research Foundation has documented hundreds of businesses that advertise their products for export to the US and Europe, and Laogai-made goods find their way into these markets on a daily basis.  Unfortunately, due to intentional deception on the part of Laogai enterprises, and a patchwork of incomplete and ineffective international regulations, these Laogai enterprises not only continue to operate, but also to profit handsomely by exporting goods made by prisoners who are not compensated for their labor.   Although China officially banned the export of forced labor products, this law is not enforced, and international requests for inspections of suspected Laogai facilities are routinely denied.

For this reason, LRF calls on the European Commission to suspend China’s preferential GSP status until China enforces its own laws on the export of forced labor products.  Additionally, we call on the EU to consider legislation to ban the import of forced labor products from China.

Peter E. Mueller, European Representative of the LAOGAI Research Foundation (LRF), Washington DC, has already met with several Members of the European Parliament, among them Edward McMillan-Scott, Vice-President of the EU-Parliament, Crescenzio Rivellini, head of the EU/China Delegation, Mrs. Helga Trüpel of the Green Party and Mr. Michael Gahler of the Christian Democrats, but foremost with Mrs. Heidi Hautala, Chairwoman of the EU Human Rights Committee. In these meetings, Mr. Mueller urged them to support the suspension of China’s preferential GSP status and consider a ban on the importation of Laogai-made products, noting that the Laogai system of forced labor camps is the PRC’s foremost tool of political repression.
LRF Executive Director Harry Wu commented, “The EU is typically ahead of the US when it comes to human rights, but on this issue they lag behind.” (The US has banned the importation of forced labor products since the 1930s.) Mr. Wu added further, “Basic human rights should not be left behind in the drive to improve economic relations between China and the EU.”

The Laogai Research Foundation is a not-for-profit organization founded by former political prisoner Harry Wu in 1992.  Its mission is to gather information on and raise public awareness of the Laogai–China’s extensive system of forced labor prison camps.  For more information, please visit www.laogai.org, e-mail laogai@laogai.org, or call +1-202-408-8300.

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