Contact: Daniel Burton, China Aid Association, Inc., 432-689-6985, 267-205-5210, info@ChinaAid.org; www.chinaaid.org, www.monitorchina.org

HEILONGJIANG, China, July 7 /Christian Newswire/ -- China Aid Association was informed that on July 2, 2008, house church member, Jiao Chunbao, was detained in Hegang city, Heilongjiang Province. Jiao, also a house church Missionary, was on his way to a worship service when he was intercepted by more than 20 government officers and policemen. The officials then forcibly escorted Jiao to the local police station. Jiao was told that his Church was banned from meeting, and threatened that if meetings continued he would be re-arrested and placed in detention. Two female church members were also taken to the police station and questioned. This instance of house church persecution was carried out in joint effort by local government officials, Bureau of Religious Affairs, the Christian "two associations" and the local police station. The incident is yet another example of the degeneration in human rights and religious freedoms in China as the Beijing Olympic Games draw near.

To voice your concern over these issues please contact:

Chinese Embassy in Washington DC
Address: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20007
Tel: (202) 338-6688, (202)5889760
Fax: (202) 588-9760

Issued by CAA July 7, 2008