According to unconfirmed reports, the court notice stated that the reason for the postponement was that Pastor Zhang decided to have a new lawyer; this may refer to the fact that Zhang’s second lawyer, Zhao Yonglin, submitted his credentials later than lawyer Liu Weiguo.
The trial date for detained Protestant Pastor Zhang Shaojie, which was originally scheduled to take place on 28 January, has now been rescheduled for 12 February 2014.
According to unconfirmed reports, the court notice stated that the reason for the postponement was that Pastor Zhang decided to have a new lawyer; this may refer to the fact that Zhang’s second lawyer, Zhao Yonglin, submitted his credentials later than lawyer Liu Weiguo.
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Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) welcomes the launch today of a report by the Campaign to Abolish Torture in Vietnam. The campaign advocates for humane treatment of detainees and prisoners in Vietnam and the elimination of the practice of torture and other abuses in Vietnamese prisons, jails, police stations, re-education centers, and other places of detention. Church members, lawyers and Christians visiting the family of detained Protestant Pastor Zhang Shaojie were beaten, harassed and detained by “hired thugs”, police and government agencies on 23 and 24 December 2013. On 23 December, Pastor Cao Nan of Shenzhen, who had travelled to Nanle in Henan province to conduct a service to pray for and rally support for Pastor Zhang’s case, was dragged from his car by local police, who beat him. He was then taken to a police station where he had pepper spray sprayed into his eyes, according to an interview with Radio Free Asia and reports by Chinese Human Rights Defenders. As Christians around the world prepare to celebrate Christmas, some North Korean defectors remind us about the reason for the season. Attendees of Seoul USA's Underground University recently performed a unique North Korean-style dramatization of the Nativity story. "These students developed and acted in the play which was performed during Underground University graduation ceremonies," explained Seoul USA's Eric Foley. "It was fascinating to witness their unique interpretation of the traditional Bible account of the birth of Christ." Lawyers representing Protestant Pastor Zhang Shaojie and members of his church have encountered various obstacles that have prevented them from meeting with their clients, who were detained by police on 16 November without any formal documentation. According to reports from China Aid and comments posted by activists on social media, lawyers who have tried to meet with Pastor Zhang and the other detainees have been faced with bureaucratic obstacles, hostile officials, and ill-timed “power outages”. Pastor Zhang, 48, belongs to the Nanle County Christian Church under the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). On 16 November, police forcibly detained Pastor Zhang without any formal documentation, possibly in response to his work defending the vulnerable social groups. Zhang’s sisters and other church members were also detained, and several others were summoned to government offices. Then on 18 November, over a hundred church members and other supporters gathered in front of the city hall to demand Pastor Zhang’s unconditional release. Over one hundred relatives, church members and supporters of Pastor Zhang Shaojie, a Protestant pastor, joined in a protest on 18 November in Henan Province, China, to call for his release from prison. Pastor Zhang Shaojie, 48, belongs to the Nanle County Christian Church under the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). On 16 November, police forcibly detained Pastor Zhang without any formal documentation. Some sources suggest that his detention was a result of his work defending the rights of vulnerable groups. In response, a number of relatives and church members gathered in front of the police station and were subsequently beaten. Zhang’s sisters were also detained, and several church members were summoned to government offices. On 18 November, over a hundred church members and other supporters gathered in front of the city hall to demand Pastor Zhang’s unconditional release. The current whereabouts of Pastor Zhang and his sisters are unknown. An expert on human rights in China suggests that country's latest edict claiming it is easing up on the one-child policy shouldn't be believed. In most instances, couples in the People's Republic of China can only have one baby – but there are some exceptions. China now says it's changing the policy to permit two children, but only under certain circumstances – such as at least one parent being an only child. Previously, both parents had to be an only child to qualify for the exemption. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) will join North Korean defectors to testify before the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea, when it holds its latest public hearing in London on 23 October. The Commission was established “to investigate the systematic, widespread and grave violations of human rights” in North Korea following a resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2013. At the public hearing the Commission will hear testimonies from a range of witnesses, including human rights defenders and North Korean defectors. There will also be a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea on 24 October. Representatives from various religious groups in Vietnam issued a statement on 4 October accusing the Vietnamese government of attempting to destroy religions in the country. Religious leaders from the Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant, Hoa Hao Buddhist and Cao Dai are all signatories to the statement, entitled ‘Concerning the Ordinance on Religion and Belief of 2004 and the 2012 Decree on Directives and Measures for Implementing the Ordinance on Religion and Belief.’ In the statement, which is addressed to Vietnamese government officials, clergy, religious groups and citizens, as well as to members of the international community including the United Nations, the authors address both the conceptual and practical obstacles to the realisation of religious freedom in Vietnam. Msgr. Paul Nguyen Thai Hop, Catholic Bishop of Vinh diocese on Vietnam’s north-central coast, has appealed for “international support and solidarity” following violent attacks against Catholics in Nghe An Province on 4 September which left at least 40 people seriously injured. Msgr. Paul Nguyen Thai Hop has described the situation for Christians there as “dangerous and worrying.” According to sources inside the country, on 4 September police and militia used tear gas, electric batons and police dogs to break up a peaceful protest against the arrest and detention of two Catholics from My Yen parish. The two men, Nguyen Van Hai, 43, and Ngo Van Khoi, 53, were arrested on 22 May as men believed to be plainclothes police officers stopped and searched Catholics visiting a shrine in Nghi Phuong Commune. The men’s families were informed that they had been charged with “disturbing pubic order”. Their communities hoped they would be released as part of Vietnam’s national day amnesty on 2 September. |
Walter Blackwood
Associate Pastor with The Bridge Community of Faith in Kelowna BC Canada. Archives
May 2017
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