An arrest in China has rocked Hong Kong adding to the many difficulties the
Special Administrative Region (SAR) has been experiencing since Hong Kong
reverted to China.
Chinese authorities in Fujian province, China arrested Hong Kong citizen Li
Guangqiang -- in Cantonese, a Chinese dialect commonly used in Hong Kong, the
name is written as Lai Kuang-cheung -- for having smuggled into China 6000
unauthorized Bibles and 30,000 pamphlets. Religious and human rights
organizations in Hong Kong are worried that the Chinese court could impose a
death sentence.
In its January 9 issue, the Sing Tao Daily (STD) carried the story on its front
page, but in its lower half the headlines summed up the STD's concerns about
the event. The main headline gave the facts: "Hong-Konger arrested for
transporting Bibles into China, thereby bringing about friction between China
and America." The sub-headlines underscores STD's worries: "Bush is
concerned but Beijing warns him not to get involved."
Further facts about the case are that Li was a member of a new Christian group
founded in 1962 by a Chinese minister in California. They were called the Shouters
movement because at any moment they shout out in a loud voice "Lord,"
"Amen" and "Hallelujah." In Hong Kong Li was just another
small businessman working the restaurant scene. He had a wife in China who,
under Hong Kong law, is not allowed to join him in Hong Kong.
Fujian Province just across the Straits opposite Taiwan has a history of
religious diversity going back for a millennium and a half. Christianity spread
widely over the last 100 years and it is the only Chinese dialect that has a
Bible written in Roman letters rather than Chinese characters as is the case
for all other Chinese Bibles translations.
According to the STD the Shouters now have churches in 21 provinces and 61
special districts. The Chinese authorities say that Li was not arrested because
he brought in Bibles. The government says Christian Bibles are widely sold all
over China. But while Li brought in Bibles he also tried to distribute 30,000
copies of a pamphlet that he had not cleared with the authorities called
"Salvation through the New Testament." But the Chinese authorities
also claim that the Bibles are different from those authorized.
China is undergoing spiritual and religious revivals of many different forms.
It is quite common to see all over the country new religious structures of all
major religions built with state subsidies. But there also are many
"home" churches, temples, mosques and other meeting places. It's the
latter that worry and anger the authorities.
A recent meeting of Communist Party officials in Beijing concluded that
religions come in two main forms. Either they contribute to social and
political stability or they undermine stability. The latter are called evil, a
word that in Chinese denotes something that provokes disease in people and
societies.