This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-33783463
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| China detains Christians after church cross removal row | China detains Christians after church cross removal row |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Seven Christians have been detained, with some accused of embezzlement, after protesting against the removal of their church cross, their lawyer said. | |
| Police detained Pastor Bao Guohua, his wife and five church staff in the eastern city of Jinhua, in Zhejiang province. | Police detained Pastor Bao Guohua, his wife and five church staff in the eastern city of Jinhua, in Zhejiang province. |
| Their lawyer Chen Jiangang told the BBC it was a smear campaign. | Their lawyer Chen Jiangang told the BBC it was a smear campaign. |
| Christians say the government has been ordering state-sanctioned churches to take down their crosses. | Christians say the government has been ordering state-sanctioned churches to take down their crosses. |
| Chinese state media on Wednesday said that Mr Bao and his wife, Xing Wenxiang, who are pastors at the Holy Love Christian Church, had embezzled hundreds of thousands of yuan in church funds and "conducted illegal business". | Chinese state media on Wednesday said that Mr Bao and his wife, Xing Wenxiang, who are pastors at the Holy Love Christian Church, had embezzled hundreds of thousands of yuan in church funds and "conducted illegal business". |
| They are also accused of "deliberately hiding accounts, and on several occasions distorting the truth to incite social unrest among believers," according to a widely-reproduced report by Zhejiang Daily newspaper. | They are also accused of "deliberately hiding accounts, and on several occasions distorting the truth to incite social unrest among believers," according to a widely-reproduced report by Zhejiang Daily newspaper. |
| But the church's lawyer Chen Jiangang told the BBC that their arrest was an act of retaliation by authorities. | But the church's lawyer Chen Jiangang told the BBC that their arrest was an act of retaliation by authorities. |
| Crackdown | Crackdown |
| He said a local religious affairs official told the church in June to take down their cross, and the church refused. | He said a local religious affairs official told the church in June to take down their cross, and the church refused. |
| "I can tell you that if church leaders had agreed to take down the cross, there would have been no problem. But they refused. That's why they were detained," he said. | "I can tell you that if church leaders had agreed to take down the cross, there would have been no problem. But they refused. That's why they were detained," he said. |
| "What is unusual is that this was an official church, recognised by the Communist Party. Everything had been properly approved by the authorities," he says adding that the church gained approval in 2008. | "What is unusual is that this was an official church, recognised by the Communist Party. Everything had been properly approved by the authorities," he says adding that the church gained approval in 2008. |
| Though China is governed by a communist party, the country has a constitution that guarantees religious freedom. But churches, which have flourished in particular in the country's southeast, have to be sanctioned by the state. | Though China is governed by a communist party, the country has a constitution that guarantees religious freedom. But churches, which have flourished in particular in the country's southeast, have to be sanctioned by the state. |
| As the churches grew and became more conspicuous, the authorities launched a crackdown in Zhejiang province, bulldozing some buildings and ordering the removal of crosses, Christians say. | As the churches grew and became more conspicuous, the authorities launched a crackdown in Zhejiang province, bulldozing some buildings and ordering the removal of crosses, Christians say. |