Uygur Christians are doubly suspect as the government assumes – incorrectly – that they are both separatists and allies of “Western powers” who hope to change the political climate in Xinjiang.

CAA’s report claims that China has evicted at least 60 foreign Christians from the province since June. Compass sources indicate the expulsion of foreigners began in late September 2006. Some who have worked in the province for as many as 18 years say this is the worst crackdown in the northwest since the Communist takeover in 1949.

As one source in Xinjiang who preferred to go unnamed told Compass in April, “It’s increasingly clear that there is a large, coordinated persecution of sorts hitting believers across Kazakhstan and Xinjiang.”

While foreign Christians are expelled, local Christians face harsher treatment. “For example, a local newspaper recently printed an article about a Uygur believer, naming him as an illegal evangelist and promising to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law,” the source added. “Officials have forbidden local believers to meet and are watching them closely.”

Another foreign Christian expelled from Xinjiang in May said authorities accused him of using a legitimate business to “support the illegal propagation of Christianity” and of “endangering national security.” His “crimes” included sharing his faith with local believers, baptizing people and distributing Bibles and related materials.

Raids, Arrests

While China allows limited freedom for the members of five officially-recognized religious groups, including the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA) and the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), raids on house churches have continued unabated this year.

On January 24, police raided a house church service in Zhangchong township, Jinzhai county, Anhui province. They took photos of every Christian in the room and asked for names and identification. Most of the Christians were released immediately, but three church leaders were taken for interrogation, according to a CAA report. Police also confiscated bibles, hymn books and musical equipment without providing a receipt.

In February, members of the underground Catholic church in Hebei province reported a door-to-door police search for underground priests. Once caught, police pressured the priests to join the government-approved Catholic church. Those who refused were arrested or lost their jobs. CAA reported at least 20 Catholic believers and two priests imprisoned at the time of this campaign.

On March 14, police arrested 54-year-old Gu Changrong for sharing her faith with Yu Mingfu, the secretary of the Communist Party in her village in Qinggyuan county, Liaoning province. Yu called the police and accused Gu of “poisoning Communist Party members” with the Christian message. She was sentenced to one year of re-education through labor for “using evil cult organizations to obstruct the exercising of state laws.”