On January 23, members of a house church in Yunan Province were severely beaten by police officials when they went to the Xishan District Public Security Bureau (PSB) to ask about their property which had been confiscated.
According to China Aid Association (CAA), Chen Xiqiong and Liang Guihua walked into the PSB office and requested an account of items, including Bibles which were taken from their house church and burned by police officers in early December 2007. CAA said, “After ignoring the members’ request, officials proceeded to violently remove them from office. One female church member, 54-year-old Liang Guihua, was thrown into a wall and rendered unconscious for more than 10 minutes. After the assault the members went to a local hospital for evaluation. Officials who witnessed the event refuse to testify on the members’ behalf.”
•The attack on these house church members follows a separate police raid on a house church meeting in Kunming where several members were detained. CAA added, “After searching the building, officials seized several hundred Christian books, including Bibles and notepads, and proceeded to burn them outside the residence.”
“This year the world will be watching China as it plays host to the Olympic Games,” said Todd Nettleton, spokesperson for The Voice of the Martyrs. “But behind the pomp and medals of the Olympics lies the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters. We call on Christians everywhere to mark this Olympic year with a concerted prayer effort on behalf of our brothers and sisters in China.”
Pray for healing for those believers injured in this attack. Ask God to protect and encourage Christians in China who face increased persecution.