Eastern Lightning 1 Eastern Lightning [PDF]

Schnellrecherche der SFH-Länderanalyse vom 2. Juni 2015 zu China: Eastern Lightning Fragen an die SFH-Länderanalyse: 

Was ist die Organisation/Glaubensgemeinschaft Eastern Lightning?

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Werden Mitglieder von Eastern Lightning von den chinesischen Behörden verfolgt?

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Wie sieht das Vorgehen der chinesischen Behörden gegen Mitglieder christlicher Glaubensgemeinschaften aus?

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Ist eine legale Ausreise trotz Verfolgung, resp. Verdacht der Zugeh örigkeit zu einer christlichen Gruppierung, möglich?

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Gibt es innerhalb von Eastern Lightning Gläubige, die moderater sind bei der Vorgehensweise zur Bekehrung von Ungläubigen?

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Was ist über den Gründer von Eastern Lightning bekannt?

Die Informationen beruhen auf einer zeitlich begrenzten Recherche (Schnellrecherche) in öffentlich zugänglichen Dokumenten, die uns derzeit zur Verfügung stehen.

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Eastern Lightning

Christliche Glaubensrichtung. W ie dem Bericht des Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) vom 11. März 2013 entnommen werden kann, ist die Glaubensgemeinschaft Eastern Lightning unter einer Reihe verschiedener Namen bekannt, wobei die offizielle Selbstbezeichnung Church of Almighty God lautet. Es handelt sich dabei um eine christliche Gruppierung mit Hauptsitz in der Provinz Henan, die seit ihrer Entstehung im Jahr 1990 in ganz China Verbreitung gefunden hat. Für die Glaubenslehre von Eastern Lightning ist zentral, dass die Ehefrau –«Lightning Deng» genannt – des Glaubensbegründers Zhao W eishan als Reinkarnation von Jesus Christus anerkannt und verehrt wird. Daneben spielt auch der Glaube an einen nahenden W eltuntergang eine prominente Rolle. Wahrnehmung als Sekte. Gemäss demselben Bericht wird Eastern Lightning in weiten Teilen der chinesischen Bevölkerung als Sekte aufgefasst. Aus diesem Grund ist die Gruppierung in ihrem Auftreten weitgehend von einer grossen Verschlossenheit geprägt. Entsprechend schwierig ist es, ihre numerische Grö sse zu erfassen. Verschiedene Schätzungen ihrer Mitgliederzahlen reichen denn auch von einigen hunderttausend bis hin zu mehreren Millionen Anhängerinnen und Anhängern, wie dem IRB-Bericht vom 16. Oktober 2014 zu entnehmen ist. Aufruf zum Kampf gegen kommunistische Regierungspartei. Eastern Lightning ruft laut IRB-Bericht vom 11. März 2013 zum Kampf gegen den «grossen roten Dra-

chen» («the great red dragon») auf, womit die kommunistische Regierungspartei Chinas gemeint ist. Auch im IRB-Bericht vom 16. Oktober 2014 wird festgehalten, dass Eastern Lightning der Partei gegenüber in offener Feindschaft steht. Vorwurf gewaltsamen Vorgehens. Der IRB-Bericht vom 11. März 2013 hält fest, dass Eastern Lightning bei der Anwerbung neuer Mitglieder als äusserst aggressi v wahrgenommen wird. Die Gruppierung gehe offenbar mit viel Entschlossenheit ihrem Ziel nach, Angehörige anderer christlicher Glaubensgemeinschaften für sich zu gewinnen. Gemäss dem Bericht sind verschiedene Vorfälle bekannt, in denen Mitglieder von Eastern Lightning gewaltsam versucht haben, neue Anhängerinnen und Anhänger zu rekrutieren. So soll es 2002 zur Entführung von 34 Angehörigen einer anderen christlichen Gemeinde gekommen sein. Gemäss IRB -Bericht vom 16. Oktober 2014 bestehen der Gruppierung gegenüber auch Anschuldigungen, dass in ihrem Namen Morde ausgeführt worden seien. IRB, 11. März 2013: «1. Background The Church of Almighty God is known by many names, including Eastern Lightning (Dui Hua 17 Dec. 2012; UCANews 20 Dec. 2012; CFAR n.d.a), Lightning from the East (SCMP 18 Dec. 2012; Time 5 Nov. 2001), the Real God Church (Dui Hua 17 Dec. 2012; CRI 2005), the Second Saviour Sect (UCANews 20 Dec. 2012), Dongfang Shandian, , the Lord ’s Hidden Advent in China and Endtime Work of God (CFAR n.d.a). Several sources describe the group as a ‘cult’ (UCANews 20 Dec. 2012; FT 17 Dec. 2012; Dui Hua 17 Dec. 2012). Sources describe the group as ‘secretive’ (AFP 20 Dec. 2012) or ‘clandestine’ (The New York Times 19 Dec. 2012). Sources report that the Church of Almighty God is banned in China (FT 17 Dec. 2012; US 30 July 2012, 4; UCANews 20 Dec. 2012). According to the China Aid Association (ChinaAid), a US-based Christian NGO that seeks to advance religious freedom in China (19 Feb. 2012), [a]lmost all of China’s house churches support the efforts of local authorities to crack down, in accordance with the law, on Eastern Lightning, which calls itself a Christian group but has long used violence to harm and persecute house churches, as well as endangering socia l order. (ChinaAid 20 Dec. 2012) (…) 2. Location of Group According to two sources, the group appears to be present throughout China (Dui Hua 17 Dec. 2012; FT 17 Dec. 2012). CFAR says that its headquarters are in Zhenzhou in Henan (n.d.a). (…) 3. Beliefs Sources report that members of the Church of Almighty God believe that Jesus Christ has returned as a woman living in China (Dui Hua 17 Dec. 2012). Two sources say that the church believes that she lives in Henan Province (SCMP 18 Dec. 2012; CFAR n.d.a). Some sources also indicate that the group has produced a third testament of the Bible (Shanghaiist 20 Dec. 2012; GlobalPost 18 Dec. 2012; CFAR n.d.a).

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According to the Dui Hua Foundation, an US -based NGO dedicated to human rights in China (Dui Hua n.d.), the group believes that this female Christ ‘will reign over a new age in which humankind will be judged and only believers will survive ’ (ibid. 17 Dec. 2012). CFAR reports that members believe that believers can find salvation through this female Christ (n.d.a). Other sources report that those who do not accept her will experience a ‘terrible’ death (UCANEWS 20 Dec. 2012; SCMP 18 Dec. 2012) or ‘severe punishment’ (UCANEWS 20 Dec. 2012). The woman is also known as ‘Lightning Deng’ (SCMP 18 Dec. 2012) or simply ‘Deng’ (The New Yorker 19 Dec. 2012; The Telegraph 24 June 2002). Sources report that the group calls for a battle against the ‘great red dragon’ (Los Angeles Times 17 Dec. 2012; Shanghaiist 20 Dec. 2012; FT 17 Dec. 2012). Some sources explain that the ‘great red dragon’ in question is the Chinese Communist Party (AFP 20 Dec. 2012; GlobalPost 18 Dec. 2012; FT 17 Dec. 2012). According to a historian quoted by the Financial Times, the call for the destruction of the Communist Party was a recent development (ibid.). Corroboration of this statement could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. 4. Activities The group is reported to be ‘highly aggressive’ (CFAR n.d.a) and uses ‘strongarm’ tactics to recruit followers (The New York Times 19 Dec. 2012; SCMP 17 Dec. 2012). According to several sources, the Church of Almighty God tries to convert members from other Christian groups (UCANews 20 Dec. 2012; Shanghaiist 20 Dec. 2012; CFAR n.d.a). Two sources indicate that the group has pub lished a manual on how to convert other Christians (Shanghaiist 20 Dec. 2012; CFAR n.d.a). Sources report that some Christian groups have accused members of the Church of Almighty God of attempts to infiltrate their own groups (UCANews 20 Dec. 2012; SCMP 1 8 Dec. 2012). Some sources indicate that the group has been involved in attacks against other Christian groups (Shanghaiist 20 Dec. 2012; Dui Hua 17 Dec. 2012). According to sources, the group has been accused of using methods such as kidnapping (Los Angeles Times 17 Dec. 2012; UCANews 20 Dec. 2012), brainwashing (UCANews 20 Dec. 2012; Time 5 Nov. 2001; CFAR n.d.a), and torture (UCANews 20 Dec. 2012; CFAR N.d.). As an example, sources report that, in 2002, the group was accused of kidnapping 34 Chinese Christians in order to forcibly convert them to their beliefs (The Telegraph 24 June 2002; SCMP 8 May 2002). Several sources report that members of the church were announcing the coming of the apocalypse on 21 December 2012, the date of the end of the world ac cording to some interpretations of Mayan prophecy (AFP 20 Dec. 2012; UCANews 20 Dec. 2012; FT 17 Dec. 2012). Two sources report that the church appeared to use the Mayan doomsday prophecy as an opportunity for recruitment of members (UCANews 20 Dec. 2012; Shanghaiist 20 Dec. 2012).» Quelle: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, China: The Church of Almighty God, also known as ‘Eastern Lightning,’ including its history, beliefs, and where it is present; treatment of members by government authorities, [CHN104304.E], 11. März 2013: www.refworld.org/docid/542a79ae4.html .

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IRB, 16. Oktober 2014: «1. Members and Leaders According to several sources, members of the Church of Almighty God in China are estimated to number in the millions (BBC 13 Aug. 2014; Dui Hua 10 July 2014; The Guardian 18 Aug. 2014). However, CNN states that estimates of its membership range from hundreds of thousands to a million members (CNN 8 June 2014). In a statement sent to CNN, members of the Church of Almighty God who operate the church’s English-language website said that ‘‘our church doesn’t exactly have a spokesperson because nobody can fully represent ’ the group’ (ibid.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Re sponse. Sources report that Zhao Weishan is the founder of the Church of Almighty God (Xinhua 20 Aug. 2014; The Guardian 18 Aug. 2014; CNN 8 June 2014). According to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Zhao Weishan is also known as Xu Wenshan (Xinhua 20 Aug. 2014). Zhao has reportedly been living in the United States for over ten years (ibid.; The Guardian 18 Aug. 2014; CNN 8 June 2014). Xinhua specifies that Zhao Weishan fled to the United States in September 2000 along with his wife Yang Xiangbin, who the Church of Almighty God claims is a female incarnation of Jesus Christ (20 Aug. 2014). Two sources refer to this female incarnation of Christ as ‘Lightning Deng’ (The Guardian 18 Aug. 2014; CNN 8 June 2014). 2. Activities Attributed to the Church of Almi ghty God According to the BBC, the Church shows ‘outright hostility’ towards the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) (13 Aug. 2014). Sources report that the Church calls on its members to fight against the CCP (The Guardian 18 Aug. 2014; The New York Times 11 June 2014; CNN 8 June 2014). According to the New York Times, ‘the group is not known for violence’ (11 June 2014). However, sources report that members of the group have been accused of committing violent acts, including murders (Xinhua 20 Aug. 2014; BBC 13 Aug. 2014; CNN 8 June 2014). In an interview with the BBC, a church member ’s relative said that ‘‘[t]he cult is anti-family ... [i]t throw[s] away family relationships and encourage each other to do the same ’’ (quoted in BBC 13 Aug. 2014). He added that ‘‘[w]hoever is more resolute in rejecting their family is given a higher rank ’’ (ibid.). Similarly, an Agence France-Presse (AFP) article indicates that according to Chinese state media, the church ‘brainwashed its members and encourage them to isolat e themselves from family and friends ’ (19 Aug. 2014). A Xinhua article indicates that in ‘many’ of the ‘numerous suicides and murders’ that the church’s members have reportedly been responsible for, the victims were a family member of the perpetrator (Xinhua 20 Aug. 2014). According to Xinhua, the Church of Almighty God has been ‘illegally’ collecting money (ibid.). The BBC wrote that the church ’s members have ‘persuade[d] new members to hand over money in exchange for salvation ’ (13 Aug. 2014).» Quelle: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, China: The Church of Almighty God (Quannengshen), also

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known as ‘Eastern Lightning,’ including its leaders, location and activities attributed to it; treatment of members by authorities (March 2013 -September 2014) [CHN104965.E], 16. Oktober 2014: www.irb.gc.ca/Eng/ResRec/RirRdi/Pages/index.aspx?doc=455559&pls=1 .

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Verfolgung durch die chinesischen Behörden

Religionsfreiheit in China. In seinem Jahresbericht 2013 erörtert das US Department of State den Stand der Religionsfreiheit in China. Demnach sind nur fünf sogenannte «patriotische religiöse Vereinigungen» (« patriotic religious associations ») befugt, sich bei den Behörden zu registrieren. Diese Stellung haben je eine buddhistische, eine taoistische, eine muslimische, eine katholische sowie eine protestantische Organisation inne. Glaubensgemeinschaften, die unabhängig von diesen anerkannten Vereinigungen existieren, erhalten keine entsprechenden Zulassungen und sind beim Praktizieren ihres Glaubens unter Umständen behördlichen Zwangs - und Strafmassnahmen ausgesetzt. Im selben Jahresbericht des US Department of State ist festgehalten, dass Betroffene aufgrund religiöser Aktivitäten von den chinesischen Behörden schikaniert, angegriffen, festgehalten, verhaftet oder verurteilt wurden. Auch von körperlichen Misshandlungen und Folter in Haft wurde berichtet. Als Sekte eingestuft und verboten. Einige religiöse Gruppierungen sind in China ausserdem explizit verboten. Zu diesen gehört Eastern Lightning. Die Glaubensgemeinschaft wird von der chinesischen Regierung laut IRB -Bericht vom 16. Oktober 2014 auf einer Liste von 14 religiösen Gruppierungen geführt, die sie a ls «bösartige Sekten» («evil cults») einstuft. Eine Sekte wird gemäss chinesischem Recht definiert als «illegale Organisation, die Menschen durch die Vergöttlichung ihres Oberhauptes zu kontrollieren versucht, ihre Mitglieder unter dem Deckmantel der Relig ion täuscht, sowie Aktivitäten betreibt, die der Gesellschaft schaden». Es drohen mehrjährige Gefängnisstrafen. Laut IRB-Bericht vom 16. Oktober 2014 sieht das chinesische Strafgesetz für die aktive Partizipation bei einer der verbotenen Gruppierungen eine Gefängnisstrafe von drei bis sieben Jahren ohne Bewährung vor. In besonderen Fällen – «if the circumstances are especially serious » – kann das Strafmass auch auf über sieben Jahre Gefängnis ohne Bewährung angehoben werden. Politisch motiviertes Vorgehen. Derselbe Bericht des IRB weist auf einen Bericht des Guardian vom 18. August 2014 hin, in dem argumentiert wird, dass die chinesischen Behörden grundsätzlich die Ausmerzung von Eastern Lightning anstreben würden. So sollen Mitglieder der Glaubensgemeinscha ft zur Zielscheibe behördlicher Verfolgung geworden sein, obwohl ihre Aktivitäten keine Gesetze verletzt hätten. Mit Verweis auf einen Artikel der New York Times vom 11. Juni 2014 wird im IRB-Bericht ausserdem ein Strafverteidiger zitiert, der das Vorgehen der Behörden als politisch motiviert bezeichnet. Dem stimmt laut IRB-Bericht auch das deutsche Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge zu. Es interpretiert die Vorgehensweise der chinesischen Behörden als politische Massnahme gegen eine ausdrücklich parte ikritische Organisation.

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Wiederholte Repressionswellen in den vergangenen Jahren. Als die Glaubensgemeinschaft im Dezember 2012 verkündete, der Weltuntergang würde unmittelbar bevorstehen, wurden laut IRB-Bericht vom 16. Oktober 2014 in insgesamt 16 chines ischen Provinzen 1300 Mitglieder von Eastern Lightning verhaftet. Sie wurden des Verbreitens von Gerüchten und der Schwindelei beschuldigt. Die meisten der Verhafteten wurden zu drei Jahren Gefängnis verurteilt, in einem Fall betrug das Strafmass allerdings acht Jahre. Eine weitere W elle der Repression gegen Mitglieder von Eastern Lightning wurde gemäss demselben IRB-Bericht losgetreten, nachdem ein Mordfall in der Provinz Shandong im Mai 2014 mit der Gruppierung in Verbindung gebracht worden war. Der Mörder rechtfertigte seine Tat offenbar mit seiner Angehörigkeit zu Eastern Lightning. In den darauffolgenden Monaten wurden fast 1000 Mitglieder von Eastern Lightning festgenommen und bereits im darauffolgenden August waren gegen mehrere Dutzend von ihnen Haftstrafen verhängt worden. Die Repressionswelle betraf darüber hinaus auch hunderte Angehörige weiterer nicht-anerkannter Glaubensgemeinschaften, die in dieser Phase gezielt bekämpft wurden. US Department of State, 28. Juli 2014: «The constitution states citizens enjoy ‘freedom of religious belief’ but limits protections for religious practice to ‘normal religious activities.’ The government applies this term in a manner that is not consistent with China ’s international human rights commitments with regard to freedom of religion. In practice, the government restricted religious freedom. The constitution also proclaims the right of citizens to believe in or not believe in any religion. Only religious groups belonging to one of the five state-sanctioned ‘patriotic religious associations’ (Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, Catholic, and Protestant), however, are permitted to register with the government and legally hold worship services. The government’s respect for religious freedom overall remained low during the year. In Tibetan areas and the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) there were particularly serious violations of religious freedom. The government exercised state control over religion and restricted the activities and personal freedom of religious adherents when these were perceived, even potentially, to threaten state or Chinese Communist Party (CCP) interests, including social stability. The government harassed, assaulted, detained, arrested, or sentenced to prison a number of religious adherents for activities reported to be related to their religious beliefs and practices. There were also reports of physical abuse and torture in detention. Local authorities often pressured unaffiliated religious believers to affiliate with patriotic associations and used a variety of means, including administrative detention, to punish members of unregistered religious or spiritual groups. In some parts of the country, however, local authorities tacitly approved of or did not interfere with the activities of unregistered groups. (…) Only religious groups belonging to one of the five state -sanctioned ‘patriotic religious associations’ are permitted to register with the government and legally

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hold worship services. Other religious groups, such as Protestant groups unaffiliated with the official patriotic religious association or Catholics professing loyalty to the Vatican, are not permitted to register as legal e ntities. Proselytizing in public or meeting in unregistered places of worship is not permitted. Tibetan Buddhists in China are not free to venerate the Dalai Lama and encounter severe government interference in religious practice (see Tibet section). Religious groups independent of the five official government patriotic religious associations have difficulty obtaining any other legal status and are vulnerable to coercive and punitive action by SARA, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), and other party or government security organs. Certain religious or spiritual groups are banned by law. The criminal law defines banned groups as ‘evil cults’ and those belonging to them can be sentenced to prison. A 1999 judicial explanation states this term refers to: ‘those illegal groups that have been found using religions, qigong [a traditional Chinese exercise discipline], or other things as a camouflage, deifying their leading members, recruiting and controlling their members, and deceiving people by molding and sp reading superstitious ideas, and endangering society. ’ There are no public criteria for determining, or procedures for challenging, such a designation. The government maintains a ban on the Guanyin Method Sect (Guanyin Famen or the Way of the Goddess of Mercy), Zhong Gong (a qigong exercise discipline), and Falun Gong. The government also considers several Christian groups to be ‘evil cults,’ including the ‘Shouters,’ Eastern Lightning, Society of Disciples (Mentu Hui), Full Scope Church, Spirit Sect, New Testament Church, Three Grades of Servants (or San Ban Pu Ren), Association of Disciples, Lord God Sect, Established King Church, Unification Church, Family of Love, and South China Church. The CCP maintains a Leading Small Group for Preventing and Dealing with the Problem of Heretical Cults and its implementing ‘610’ offices (named for the date of its creation on June 10, 1999) to eliminate the Falun Gong movement and to address ‘evil cults.’(…) Registered religious organizations are allowed to compile and print religious materials for internal use. To distribute religious materials publicly, an organization must follow national printing regulations, which restrict the publication and distribution of literature with religious content. The government limits distribution of Bibles to TSPM/Chinese Christian Council entities such as churches, church bookshops, and seminaries. Individuals cannot order Bibles directly from publishing houses. Members of unregistered churches report the supply and distribution of Bibles are inadequate, particularly in rural locations. There are approximately 600 Christian titles legally in circulation. According to a foreign Christian source, in the last 10 years an estimated 200 Christian bookstores and nine domestic Christian publishers have opened in the country. Under the law religious texts published without authorization, including Bibles and Qurans, may be confiscated and unauthorized publishing houses closed. Parents are permitted to instruct children under the age of 18 in religious beliefs and children may participate in religious activities. Officials in the XUAR, however, require minors to complete nine years of compulsory education before they can receive

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religious education. According to media reports, authorities in the Xinjiang town of Yining bar minors under the age of 18 from entering the city ’s mosques. The law imposes penalties on adults who ‘force’ minors to participate in religious activities. The teaching of atheism in schools is allowed.» Quelle: US Department of State, 2013 International Religious Freedom Report – China, 28. Juli 2014: www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm?year=2013&dlid=222123#wrapper.

IRB, 16. Oktober 2014: «3. Treatment by Authorities 3.1 Legal Status Sources note that the Church of Almighty God is among 14 ‘evil cults’ banned by Chinese authorities (The Guardian 18 Aug. 2014; Xinhua 8 Aug. 2014; ChinaAid 19 June 2014). Xinhua specifies that ‘[a]ccording to Chinese law, a cult is an illegal organization that tries to control people by deifying the sect leader, deludes members under the guise of religion, and engages in activities that harm society ’ (11 Oct. 2014). Article 300 of the Criminal Law of China establishes penalties for the ‘use’ of organizations considered as ‘sects’: Whoever forms or uses superstitious sects or secret societies or weird re ligious organizations or uses superstition to undermine the implementation of the laws and administrative rules and regulations of the State shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than seven years; if the circumstances are especially serious, he shall be sentenced to fixed -term imprisonment of not less than seven years . (China 1979, Art. 300) The Dui Hua foundation, an NGO based in San Francisco that monitors and advocates for the rights of detainees in China , notably those detained on religious and political grounds (Dui Hua n.d.), also refers to Article 300, stating that [u]nder Article 300 of the Criminal Law, individuals who participate in cult organizations may be charged with ‘organizing/using a cult to undermine implementation of the law ’ and face prison sentences of 3-7 years. According to a joint interpretation issued by the Supreme People’s Court and Supreme People’s Procuratorate in 1999, cult crimes can be applied when one ‘resists group bans by relevant departments, resumes banned groups, establishes other sects, or continues [illegal] activities.’ (Dui Hua 10 July 2014) According to the Guardian, authorities ‘have made repeated attempts to eradicate’ the Church of Almighty God (18 Aug. 2014). The BBC reports that members of the Church of Almighty God have accused authorities of ‘persecution’ (13 Aug. 2014). Human rights observers have criticized certain government actions against the Church of Almighty God (The Guardian 18 Aug. 2014; The New York Times 11 June 2014). The Guardian reports that according to a Hong Kong-based researcher for Human Rights Watch, the government has ‘‘gone after members of Eastern Lightning for organising activities that [are not] against the law’’ (18 Aug. 2014). Likewise, the New York Times quotes a defence lawyer as saying that actions by authorities

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against the group were politically motivated and that they were an ‘effort to eradicate an entire group of believers, not just the ones who committed crimes ’ (11 June 2014). The Information Centre on Asylum and Migration of the German government ’s Federal Office for Migration and Asylum (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, BAMF) states that ‘[o]ne reason why the authorities designate the sect as an ‘evil cult’ [...] is that it rejects the state and the [Communist] party, ’ adding that ‘the Communist Party regards every group which organises itself outside the state structures as a potential threat to its power ’ (BAMF 2 Jan. 2013). Reuters similarly states that ‘the party brooks no challenge to its rule and is obsessed with social stability,’ adding that ‘[i]t has cracked down on cults, which have multiplied across the country in recent years ’ (Reuters 19 Aug. 2014). 3.2 Post- December 2012 Arrests According to sources, over 1,300 members of the group throughout the country were arrested in connection to apocalyptic statements made by the group in December 2012 (US 10 Oct. 2013, 94; Dui Hua 29 Aug. 2013). Sources report that people were detained in 16 provinces (ibid.; US 10 Oct. 2013, 94). According to the Dui Hua foundation, 800 of these arrests were made in the provinces of Qinghai and Guizhou (Dui Hua 29 Aug. 2013). The US Department of State ’s Religious Freedom Report for 2012 notes that authorities also ‘launched a media campaign against [members of the Church of Almighty God] for rumor mongering and swindling people ’ (US 20 May 2013, 12). (…) 3.4 May 2014 Killing in McDonald’s and Reaction by Authorities Multiple sources report that the slaying of a woman in late May 2014 in Macdonald’s restaurant in the city of Zhaoyuan, in Shandong province, was linked to members of the Church of Almighty God (The Guardian 18 Aug. 2014; AP 11 June 2014; CNN 8 June 2014). The woman was reportedly publicly beaten to death after refusing to provide her phone number to six members of the group (ibid.; ChinaAid 19 June 2014; AP 11 June 2014). The incident was caught on video and broadcasted nationwide (Reuters 19 Aug. 2014; BBC 13 Aug. 2014; CNN 8 June 2014). Sources indicate the attack caused ‘shock’ (CNN 8 June 2014), ‘public outrage’ (BBC 13 Aug. 2014) and ‘a national outcry’ (Reuters 19 Aug. 2014) in the country. According to two sources, the Church of Almighty God accused the authorities of linking the murder to the group ( The Guardian 18 Aug. 2014; CNN 8 June 2014). Sources report that authorities launched a crackdown on cults following the killing (Reuters 19 Aug. 2014; The Guardian 18 Aug. 2014; AP 11 June 2014). According to sources, authorities announced in June 2014 that over 1,500 cult members had been detained (The Guardian 18 Aug. 2014; The New York Times 11 June 2014; AP 11 June 2014). Sources reported that it was al so announced that 59 individuals had been sentenced for up to four years imprisonment under charges of ‘‘using a cult [organisation] to undermine enforcement of the law ’’ (AP 11 June 2014; The New York Times 11 June 2014). However, some of the arrests repo rtedly went back to two years and also involved alleged members of another group known as the Disciples Sect

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(ibid.; AP 11 June 2014). AP stated that ‘[r]eports of the detentions appeared to be an effort to reassure the public following outrage over violen ce and other illegal activity blamed on cult adherents’ (ibid.). In August 2014, Chinese authorities announced that ‘nearly 1,000’ alleged members of the Church of Almighty God have been arrested since June 2014 (AFP 19 Aug. 2014; Xinhua 19 Aug. 2014; Reuters 19 Aug. 2014). According to Xinhua, those arrested were ‘allegedly involved in more than 500 [separate] cases’ (19 Aug. 2014). AFP noted that the arrests included ‘‘high-level organizers and backbone members’’ and that those arrested reportedly came from six different provinces (AFP 19 Aug. 2014). According to Reuters, ‘China has sentenced dozens of followers ’ of the Church of Almighty God since the killing in the McDonald ’s restaurant (Reuters 19 Aug. 2014). The ChinaAid Association, an NGO that monitors and promotes religious freedom in China (ChinaAid 19 Feb. 2012), reported that there were concerns among Chinese Christians ‘that the government will escalate their persecution of house churches through the front of combating cult organizations ’ (ibid. 19 June 2014). The New York Times likewise reports that ‘some Chinese religious leaders worry that campaigns against heterodox groups will spill over and affect congregations that are doctrinally mainstream but unsanctioned by the Communist Party, which seeks to manage all religious activity’ (11 June 2014).» Quelle: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, China: The Church of Almighty God (Quannengshen), also known as ‘Eastern Lightning,’ including its leaders, location and activities attributed to it; treatment of members by authorities (March 2013 -September 2014) [CHN104965.E], 16. Oktober 2014: www.irb.gc.ca/Eng/ResRec/RirRdi/Pages/index.aspx?doc=455559&pls=1 .

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Vorgehen der chinesischen Behörden gegen Mitglieder christlicher Glaubensgemeinschaften

Massive Verfolgung christlicher Glaubensgemeinschaften im Jahr 2014. Die US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) hält in ihrem Jahresbericht vom 30. April 2015 fest, dass in China im Jahr 2014 das Vorgehen der Behörden gegen christliche Glaubensgemeinschaften zum Teil als so intensiv und persistent charakterisiert wird, wie es seit der Kult urellen Revolution in den 1960er- und 1970erJahren nicht mehr stattgefunden habe. Erklärtes Ziel der chinesischen Regierung ist demnach, im Verlauf des kommenden Jahrzehnts alle nicht -registrierten Glaubensgemeinschaften «auszumerzen» (« eradicate»). In einem zusammenfassenden Bericht zu den jüngeren Entwicklungen der Religionsfreiheit in China stellt die christliche Menschenrechtsorganisation China Aid zudem fest, dass das Ausmass behördlicher Repression im Jahr 2014 auch gegenüber registrierten christlichen Glaubensgemeinschaften stark zugenommen hat. Es wird argumentiert, dass im Zuge der Bekämpfung von Eastern Lightning vermehrt auch Gruppierungen, die zuvor relativ unbehelligt geblieben waren, gezielt verfolgt werden. Gemeinschaften, die als «abergläubische Sekten oder Geheimgesellschaften oder sonderbare religiöse Organisationen» («superstitious sects or secret societies or weird religious organizations») eingestuft werden, sind teils Repression en mittels Gewalt ausgesetzt.

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Strikte behördliche Überwachung religiöser Aktivitäten. Gemäss dem oben erwähnten USCIRF-Bericht werden sämtliche religiöse Aktivitäten von den chinesischen Behörden äusserst strikt überwacht. Dabei ist laut Guardian-Artikel vom 19. Dezember 2012 aber oft nicht bekannt, welche Behörde im Einzelfall für die jeweiligen repressiven Massnahmen verantwortlich ist. Die chinesische Regierung unterhalte ein ausgedehntes Netzwerk von undurchsichtigen und teils aussergerichtlichen Einrichtungen, die mit der Unterdrückung religiöser Organisationen betraut würden. Namentlich erwähnt wird in diesem Bericht das berüchtigte «610 Office», das seit 1999 existiert und laut Jamestown Foundation noch heute mindestens 15‘000 Beamte beschäftige. Willkürliche Verhaftungen, Razzien, Beschlagnahmungen. Der USCIRF-Bericht hält ausserdem fest, dass Gläubige im Zuge der Bestrebungen, die Verbreitung christlicher Organisationen einzudämmen, mit willkürlichen Verhaftungen, Bussen, Rechtsverweigerung und langen Gefängnisstrafen rechnen müssen. So wird von Razzien berichtet wie beispielsweise von jener im September 2014, bei der in der Stadt Foshan in der Provinz Guangdong im Rahmen einer grossangelegten Aktion über 100 Mitglieder einer Hauskirche verhaftet wurden. In seinem Bericht vom 10. Oktober 2014 beschreibt das Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), wie die Behörden bei den Razzien gewöhnlich vorgehen. Demnach werden oft sämtliche Mitglieder einer Hauskirche verdächtigt, Angehörige einer der als «bösartige Sekten» («evil cults») eingestuften Glaubensgemeinschaften zu sein. Schilderungen zufolge verschaffen sich die Polizeieinheiten bei der Durchführung einer Razzia normalerweise ohne Durchsuchungsbefehl und ohne sich auszuweisen Zugang zu den entsprechenden Einrichtungen. Die persönlichen Daten aller Anwesenden würden anschliessend aufgenommen sowie ihre Häuser und Wohnungen durchsucht. Dabei würden auch Besitztümer beschlagnahmt. Die Mitglieder der Hauskirchen würden ausserdem verhört und zum Bezahlen einer Busse aufgefordert. Zum Teil werden sie in der Fo lge festgenommen, unter Hausarrest gestellt, in der Bewegungsfreiheit eingeschränkt, oder überwacht. Es gibt Berichte über körperliche Misshandlungen und Folter, denen Betroffene in Gewahrsam ausgeliefert waren. Laut USCIRF-Bericht werden sowohl Führungspersonen als auch einfache Mitglieder zum Ziel willkürlicher Verhaftungen. Vordergründig legitimiert die chinesische Regierung das drastische Vorgehen mit dem Erhalt der « social order». Eine Vielzahl von Berichten deutet allerdings darauf hin, dass Angehörig e christlicher Glaubensgemeinschaften auf willkürliche W eise zum Ziel behördlicher Repression wurden. Dies hält auch der IRB-Bericht vom 16. Oktober 2014 fest, in dem die Verfolgung von Mitgliedern von Eastern Lightning mit Verweis auf einen Bericht im Guardian als politisch motiviert bezeichnet wird. Die resultierenden Strafen können äusserst drastisch ausfallen, wie der Fall eines Pastors namens Zhang Shaojie in der Provinz Henan zeigt. Er wurde laut USCIRF -Bericht im Juli 2014 auf der Basis vorgeschobener Gründe zu zwölf Jahren Haft verurteilt. Ausweitung der vorgeworfenen Gesetzesverstösse. Angehörigen nichtregistrierter christlicher Glaubensgemeinschaften wurde seit längerem vorgeworfen, den Gesetzesvollzug zu unterwandern («to undermine law enforcement»). Dieser

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Vorwurf richtete sich laut China Aid-Bericht vom 20. Januar 2015 im Jahr 2014 vermehrt nicht mehr nur an Mitglieder illegaler Gruppen, sondern auch an Führungspersonen anderer Glaubensgemeinschaften. Ausserdem wurden ihnen in jüngerer Zeit laut demselben Bericht zusätzlich auch illegale Geschäfte (« illegal business operations»), Störung der Gesellschaftsordnung («disrupting social order»), sowie aufrührerische Aktivitäten (« gathering a crowd to provoke a fight ») zur Last gelegt. Schikanen durch die Behörden. Auch die Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) der Vereinigten Staaten berichtet in ihrem Jahresbericht vom 9. Oktober 2014, dass Mitglieder sowohl registrierter als auch nicht -registrierter christlicher Gruppierungen im Jahr 2014 von Schikanen, Festnahmen und Inhaftierungen betroffen waren. Auch seien sie am Ausüben religiöser Praktiken gehindert worden. Landesweit seien Versammlungen von Hauskirchen gestört und die Teilnehmenden in Gewahrsam genommen worden. Zerstörung von Kirchen. Im Verlauf des Jahres 2014 wurden gemäss USCIRFBericht landesweit mindestens 400 Kirchen durch die Behörden abgerissen oder beschädigt. Als Begründung dienten hierbei beispielsweise angebliche Verstösse gegen die Bauordnung oder eine fehlende Baug enehmigung. China Aid, 20. Januar 2015: «The second distinct characteristic is to classify house church leaders, especially in some regions where house churches flourished, as alleged “cult” leaders, target them collectively and suppress them with criminal charges. The scope and intensity of this kind of persecution has reached a historic high. We can see that in many provinces across the country including Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Henan, Hunan, Shanxi, and Xinjiang, several big cases and religious cases involved allegedly “using cult to undermine law enforcement,” which is a criminal charge used to arrest/detain or arrest/sentence people. In some cases, more than ten leaders of a church were taken into police custody in one event , such as the religious case in Shaoyang, Hunan. The suppression happened in a particular political context. Last year, it was apparent that the authorities took advantage of the crackdown on “Eastern Lightning,” amplified and extended it to many traditional house churches. In 2014, the authorities applied criminal charges against house churches and tightened its control over children’s conversion to Christianity. The third characteristic is related to the second one, which is to apply the charge of “using a cult to undermine law enforcement.” This criminal charge used to be applied only to Falun Gong practitioners or “Eastern Lightning,” but in 2014, it was applied against house churches. Besides this, a few politics -related charges, such as “illegal business operations,” “disrupti ng social order,” and “gathering a crowd to provoke a fight” were all applied to pastors of some churches . For example, during the demolition of churches that happened in Wenzhou, some church pastors were formally arrested on these charges. They were put on trial by courts

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although they haven’t yet received a final sentence.» Quelle: China Aid, ‘China Aid Founder Summarizes Characteristics of 2014 Persecution against Churches’, 20. Januar 2015: www.chinaaid.org/2015/01/china-aid-founder-summarizes.html.

USCIRF, 30. April 2015: «Key Findings In 2014, the Chinese government took steps to consolidate further its authori tarian monopoly of power over all aspects of its citizens’ lives. For religious freedom, this has meant unprecedented violations against Uighur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, Catholics, Protestants, and Falun Gong practitioners. People of faith continue to face arrests, fines, denials of justice, lengthy prison sentences, and in some cases, the closing or bulldozing of places of worship . Based on the alarming increase in systematic, egregious, and ongoing abuses, USCIRF again recommends China be designated a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). The State Department has designated China as a CPC since 1999, most recently in July 2014. Background The Chinese Constitution states that it guarantees freedom of religion. However, only so-called “normal religions” – those belonging to one of the five state -sanctioned “patriotic religious associations” associated with the five officially -recognized religions (Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism) – can register with the government and legally hold worship services and conduct religious activities. The government and Chinese Communist Party are officially atheist, with more than 700 million persons unaffiliated with any religion or belief. However, religious followers are strong and reportedly on the rise: more than 294 million practice folk religions, more than 240 million Buddhism, 68 million Christianity, and nearly 25 million Islam. The Chinese government monitors strictly religious activities, including by those recognized by the state, but unregistered groups and their members are especially vulnerable. For example, although Christianity is state -sanctioned, the government continues to engage in severe violations of religious freedom against both registered and unregistered Catholics and Protestants. Some have characterized the new wave of persecution against Christians that swept through China in 2014 as the most egregious and persis tent since the Cultural Revolution. Nevertheless, the number of religious followers, of Christianity in particular, is considered to be growing. In the name of fighting terrorism, Chinese officials’ increased religious persecution of Uighur Muslims in the autonomous region of Xinjiang has gone handin -hand with the growing number of violent episodes there, creating a perpetual cycle of government repression, violent Uighur reprisals, and deadly force by the Chinese police. Both central and regional government officials have undertaken pre-emptive security and punitive legal measures. The Chinese communist regime, which celebrated its 65th anniversary in October 2014, views ideologies that promote freedom of speech, civil society, genuine rule of law, and human rights as directly undermining its control. As a result, all -around

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repression in China worsened in 2014, including the government’s aggressiveness in controlling Tibet, Xinjiang, and even Hong Kong, as well as stricter controls on the Internet and social media and targeting of human rights defenders, civil society activists, journalists and academics. For example, Pu Zhiqiang, a prominent human rights lawyer, was charged in June 2014 with creating a disturbance, inciting ethnic hatred, and separatism based on his postings on Sina Weibo, a popular blog service; he was detained just prior to the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident. Other human rights defenders also face arbitrary detention, harassment, intimidation, or imprisonment. Another human rights lawyer, Gao Zhisheng, was finally released in August 2014 but remains under constant surveillance and has been denied freedom of movement to seek proper medical care or to be reunited with his family, who fled to the United States. (…) Protestants and Catholics In a striking development, at least 400 churches were torn down or had crosses forcibly removed and/or demolished in 2014, a notable increase over previous years. Most of these incidents occurred in Zhejiang Province and included both underground and state-sanctioned churches, though incidents were reported in other places as well. In Zhejiang Province, these actions can be attributed to the “Three Rectifications and One Demolition” campaign, the provincial government’s March 2013 plan purportedly aimed at building code violations and illegal structures. Many religious believers in Zhejiang, particularly Christians, regarded the campaign as directly targeting their religion. The city of Wenzhou, home to China’s largest Christian community, known as “China’s Jerusalem,” saw a particularly high number of demolitions. Registered churches in Wenzhou also faced demolitions, including the Protestant Wuai Church and the Liushi and Longgangshan Catholic Churches. In general, conditions faced by regis tered and unregistered churches across the country vary widely and are often subject to the inconsistent discretion of local and/or provincial officials. Leaders and members of both registered and unregistered churches have faced increased harassment and arbitrary arrests. Typically leaders of house churches are more vulnerable to these types of charges, but in 2014 pastors of sanctioned churches also faced detention or arrest. The Chinese government generally claimed these actions were to maintain social o rder, but there were multiple reports that Christians and religious activists were unfairly targeted. In July 2014, Pastor Zhang Shaojie of the Nanle County Christian Church, a registered church in Henan Province, was convicted on trumped -up charges and sentenced to 12 years in prison. The government also began classifying house church leaders as alleged “cult” leaders. Pope Francis has opened the door for improved relations with China, reportedly inviting President Xi Jinping to the Vatican. Additionally, the Chinese government granted the Pope permission to fly through Chinese airspace following his January 2015 trip to the Philippines. (In the past, China has refused to allow papal aircraft to fly through its airspace; it is common practice for sitting popes to send messages to the countries over which they fly.) However, shortly thereafter, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson reiterated calls

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for the Vatican to cut ties with Taiwan and to stop interfering in China’s internal affairs in the name of religion. Moreover, according to a 2015 working plan of the State Administration of Religious Affairs, China still insists on electing and ordaining bishops completely independent of the Holy See. (…) Targeting of “Cults” Under Article 300 of China’s Criminal Law, those who participate in so -called “superstitious sects or secret societies or weird religious organizations” or other similar activity are subject to imprisonment. In 2014, the Chinese government took its broadest steps yet to designate and criminalize some groups as ‘‘cult organizations.” On June 3, 2014, the government published a list of 20 “cults” and began a sweeping crackdown against these organizations. House churches were targeted because they lack any official protection. In September 2014, more than 100 Christians were arrested during a raid on a house church in Foshan City, Guangdong Province, with eyewitnesses claiming that more than 200 officials took part in the raid. As part of the “anticult” effort, China’s government issued a directive to “eradicate” unregistered churches over the course of the next decade, resulting in unregistered church members facing an increased number of arrests, fines, and church closures in 2014. » Quelle: USCIRF – US Commission on International Religious Freedom USCIRF , Annual Report 2015; 2015 Country Reports: Tier 1 CPCS designated by the State Department and recommended by USC IRF; China, 30. April 2015, S. 33ff: www.ecoi.net/file_upload/1226_1432894092_china -2015.pdf.

The Guardian, 19. Dezember 2012: «The report did not say which government department had orchestrated the arrests. "It's the government – which part of the government, nobody knows," said Zhou Xiaozheng, a sociology professor at Renmin University in Beijing. "The government controls the media, so nobody's allowed to report on it." Human rights groups say the Chinese authorities maintain a vast network of shadowy, extrajudicial agencies that crack down on dissidents and unauthorised religious groups. The most notorious of them, the 610 Office, was established in 1999 to control the spiritual group Falun Gong. The group was outlawed that year after thousands of followers staged a silent protest outside of the Communist party's central leadership compound in Beijing. "Though Falun Gong remains the primary focus, its targets now include house church Christians, Buddhists and other religious or spiritual groups ," said a 2011 report on the office by the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation thinktank. "Today, based on extrapolating from district -level numbers on local government websites, we estimate it retains at least 15,000 officers." China's state bureau of religious affairs declined to comment.» Quelle: The Guardian, ‘China Arrests 500 Followers of Religious Cult over Mayan Apocalypse Rumours, 19. Dezember 2012: www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/19/china -arrests-religious-cult-apocalypse .

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IRB, 10. Oktober 2014: «3.4 "Cult" Activity Police have raided house churches on suspicion of their involvement in "cult" activity (Associate Professor 16 Sept. 2014; ChinaAid 1 Apr. 2013; ibid. 27 May 2014; ibid. 18 Sept. 2014). According to ChinaAid, who interviewed a house church member in Guangdong, local authorities have focused on house churches "in the name of attacking Eastern Lightning" (19 June 2014). For detailed information on Eastern Lightning, see Response to Information Request CHN104965. The President of ChinaAid indicated that " many house church members are regarded by local officials/authorities as part of these evi l cults because officials and police cannot distinguish between different Christian groups ," and intervene in house church activities on this basis (ChinaAid 18 Sept. 2014). Similarly, in a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, an associate pr ofessor of political science at Loyola University, Maryland, whose research specializes in the politics of religion in contemporary China, said that authorities often see all house churches as "the same" and are not familiar with the distinctions and diffe rences in denominations and beliefs between unregistered house churches, particularly in rural areas; for this reason, he said, house churches may be targeted as "evil cults" because officials are not able to distinguish between unregistered Christian grou ps (Associate Professor 16 Sept. 2014). Sources report that police "round up" house church members in order to meet arrest quotas for "evil cult" practitioners (ibid. 16 Sept. 2014; ChinaAid 18 Sept. 2014). According to the President of ChinaAid, believers are arbitrarily "detained, arrested, and some are charged with participation in an evil cult" (ibid.). He indicated that there have been reports of this happening in Hubei, Hunan, Shandong, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and other provinces or regions (18 Sep t. 2014). The US International Religious Freedom Report for 2013 states that two pastors from an unregistered church in Zhenzhou were detained on cult -related charges (US 28 July 2014, 11). 3.5 Treatment of House Church Members During and Following Raids Police raids on house churches reportedly continued to occur across China throughout 2014 (US 10 Oct. 2013, 92; ChinaAid 18 Sept. 2014). Various sources report on police and official behaviour during raids, including: Entering the premises without police identification or a search warrant (ChinaAid 18 Sept. 2014); Asking members for identification (RFA 22 Aug. 2012; ChinaAid 18 Sept. 2014); Recording names, identity numbers (ibid.; Toronto Star 8 Aug. 2010) and work place details (ibid.). Conducting searches of members' homes (ibid. 12 Aug. 2014).

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Confiscating property (ibid. 1 Apr. 2013; RFA 11 June 2013; Christian Post 25 July 2011); Confiscating Bibles (US 28 July 2014, 16); Interrogating attendees (ChinaAid 1 Apr. 2013; ibid. 12 Aug. 2014; US 10 Oct. 2013, 92; US 26 Oct. 2009, Sect. 2); Detaining house church members and requiring them to pay fines (ChinaAid 27 May 2014; RFA 11 June 2013; US 10 Oct. 2013, 92); Placing members under house arrest or home confinement (Associate Professor 16 Sept. 2014; SCMP 8 May 2011); Physically abusing members in detention (Associate Professor 16 Sept. 2014; ChinaAid 18 Sept. 2014). House church members have been subjected to beatings by police (ChinaAid 18 Sept. 2014), or physically assaulted and injured by state officials (US 28 July 2014, 10); Placing people under surveillance (CSW 14 Feb. 2014; ChinaAid 18 Sept. 2014; US 28 July 2014, 12), and repeatedly detaining them (ibid.); Pressuring employers to threaten to fire members if they continue house church activities (Toronto Star 8 Aug. 2010; Associate Professor 16 Sept. 2014). Some members of the Shouwang house church reportedly lost employment (US 30 Apr. 2013, 9; Associate Professor 16 Sept. 2014). T he President of ChinaAid stated that the purpose of recording the identity numbers of those detained during raids is to continue the harassment at the person's work location; the information will be sent to their work unit, which results in "discrimination and pressure to cease house church activities" (ChinaAid 18 Sept. 2014). Evicting members from their homes (ChinaAid 18 Sept. 2014; US 28 July 2014, 13; ibid. 30 Apr. 2013, 9), and in the case of Shouwang house church members, losing their Beijing residency permits (ibid.). 3.6 Detention AI reports that house church members risk "illegal and arbitrary detention" (AI Mar. 2013, 7). The US International Religious Freedom Report for 2009 also states that some worshippers were detained (26 Oct. 2009). The sam e report for 2013 indicates that "administrative detention, including confinement and abuse at [reeducation-through-labor] camps," has been used by local authorities to "punish" members of unregistered religious groups (US 28 July 2014, 10). According to the President of ChinaAid, the treatment of ordinary members regarding detention varies: If a person is deemed to be a leader or organizer of the group, they will get an administrative sentence of a period of 5 to 7 days in administrative detention, or the y may be criminally detained, which can lead to arrest/prosecution and sentencing. ...

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Detainees who are cooperative and give information to authorities about the congregation ... may be released. ... [T]hose who have been interrogated but not given an administrative or criminal detention [...] will have to report to police regularly, and neighbours and family will be asked to be part of the surveillance . (ChinaAid 18 Sept. 2014) According to the Associate Professor, [d]uring a police raid on a house church, leaders are the most likely to be detained and arrested. Ordinary members are usually detained during the raid and released shortly after. ... It is highly variable as to how long someone might be detained, as this depends on the police response and the type of group being raided. If the group involves a foreign national, such as a pastor from outside China, then the state security bureau will become involved. (16 Sept. 2014) The President of ChinaAid said that "the punishment will become more sever e" for those who are caught and detained again, and will "result in criminal detention or arrest" (ChinaAid 18 Sept. 2014). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. There have been reports of criminal detention of house church members on charges that include "illegal business operations" (ChinaAid 16 Sept. 2014; US 30 Apr. 2014, 48) or "illegal" assembly (CSW 14 Feb. 2014; US 28 July 2014, 14; ChinaAid 27 May 2014). According to the President of ChinaAid, criminal detention without trial can be up to a year and is reportedly used as a deterrent to ordinary members, even if they do not end up being prosecuted (ChinaAid 18 Sept. 2014). There have been reports of "physical abuse and torture" of people while in detention (US 28 July 2014, 8; ChinaAid 18 Sept. 2014). AI reports that house church members are at risk of torture and ill -treatment by authorities (Mar. 2013, 7). Sources report that 1,470 people we re detained in relation to Protestant house church activities in 2013 (US 30 Apr. 2014, 48, ChinaAid Feb. 2014, 10), 54 of whom were church leaders (ibid.). According to the cases gathered by ChinaAid, in comparison with previous years, there has been a ye arly increase in the number of house church related detentions between 2009 (389 persons detained) and 2012 (1441 persons detained) (ibid., 8). ChinaAid reported that of the 1,470 people detained in 2013, 12 people were sentenced (ibid., 10). According to USCIRF, 10 people were given sentences of more than one year (US 30 Apr. 2014, 48). Quelle: IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada: China: Treatment of "ordinary" Christian house church members by the Public Security Bureau (PSB), including treatmen t of children of house church members (2009-2014) [CHN104966.E], 10. Oktober 2014: www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/Eng/ResRec/RirRdi/Pages/index.aspx?doc=455553&pls=1 .

IRB, 16. Oktober 2014: «3.2 Post- December 2012 Arrests

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According to sources, over 1,300 members of the group throughout the country were arrested in connection to apocalyptic statements made by the group in December 2012 (US 10 Oct. 2013, 94; Dui Hua 29 Aug. 2013). Sources report that people were detained in 16 provinces (ibid.; US 10 Oct. 2013, 94). According to the Dui Hua foundation, 800 of these arrests were made in the provinces of Qinghai and Guizhou (Dui Hua 29 Aug. 2013). The US Department of State ’s Religious Freedom Report for 2012 notes that authorities also ‘launched a media campaign against [members of the Church of Almighty God] for rumor mongering and swindling people ’ (US 20 May 2013, 12). (…) 3.4 May 2014 Killing in McDonald’s and Reaction by Authorities Multiple sources report that the slaying of a woman in late May 2014 in Macdonald ’s restaurant in the city of Zhaoyuan, in Shandong province, was linked to members of the Church of Almighty God (The Guardian 18 Aug. 2014; AP 11 June 2014; CNN 8 June 2014). The woman was reportedly publicly beaten to death after refusing to provide her phone number to six members of the group (ibid.; ChinaAid 19 June 2014; AP 11 June 2014). The incident was caught on video and broadcasted nationwide (Reuters 19 Aug. 2014; BBC 13 Aug. 2014; CNN 8 June 2014). Sources indicate the attack caused ‘shock’ (CNN 8 June 2014), ‘public outrage’ (BBC 13 Aug. 2014) and ‘a national outcry’ (Reuters 19 Aug. 2014) in the country. According to two sources, the Church of Almighty God accused the authorities of linking the murder to the group ( The Guardian 18 Aug. 2014; CNN 8 June 2014). Sources report that authorities launched a crackdown on cults following the killing (Reuters 19 Aug. 2014; The Guardian 18 Aug. 2014; AP 11 June 2014). According to sources, authorities announced in June 2014 that over 1,500 cult members had been detained (The Guardian 18 Aug. 2014; The New York Times 11 June 2014; AP 11 June 2014). Sources reported that it was also announced that 59 individuals had been sentenced for up to four years imprisonment under charges of ‘‘using a cult [organisation] to undermine enforcement of the law ’’ (AP 11 June 2014; The New York Times 11 June 2014). However, some of the arrests reportedly went back to two years and also involved alleged members of another group known as the Disciples Sect (ibid.; AP 11 June 2014). AP stated that ‘[r]eports of the detentions appeared to be an effort to reassure the public following outrage over violence and other illegal activity blamed on cult adherents’ (ibid.). In August 2014, Chinese authorities announced that ‘nearly 1,000’ alleged members of the Church of Almighty God have been arrested since June 2014 (AFP 19 Aug. 2014; Xinhua 19 Aug. 2014; Reuters 19 Aug. 2014). According to Xinhua, those arrested were ‘allegedly involved in more than 500 [separate] cases’ (19 Aug. 2014). AFP noted that the arrests included ‘‘high-level organizers and backbone members’’ and that those arrested reportedly came from six different provinces (AFP 19 Aug. 2014). According to Reuters, ‘China has sentenced dozens of followers ’ of the Church of Almighty God since the killing in the McDonald ’s restaurant (Reuters 19 Aug. 2014). The ChinaAid Association, an NGO that monitors and promotes religious freedom in China (ChinaAid 19 Feb. 2012), reported that there were concerns among Chinese

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Christians ‘that the government will escalate their persecution of house churches through the front of combating cult organizations ’ (ibid. 19 June 2014). The New York Times likewise reports that ‘some Chinese religious leaders worry that campaigns against heterodox groups will spill over and affect congregations that are doctrinally mainstream but unsanctioned by the Communist Party, which seeks to manage all religious activity’ (11 June 2014).» Quelle: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, China: The Church of Almighty God (Quannengshen), also known as ‘Eastern Lightning,’ including its leaders, location and activities attributed to it; treatment of members by authorities (March 2013 -September 2014) [CHN104965.E], 16. Oktober 2014: www.irb.gc.ca/Eng/ResRec/RirRdi/Pages/index.aspx?doc=455559&pls=1 .

CECC, 9. Oktober 2014: «HARASSMENT, DETENTION, AND INTERFERENCE WITH PLACES OF WORSHIP Chinese authorities continued to harass, detain, imprison, and interfere with the religious activities of members of both registered and unregistered Protestant communities who ran afoul of government or Party policy. Authorities throughout China interrupted house church gath erings and proselytizing activities, took participants into custody, and blocked access to sites of worship. This past year, the Commission also observed a trend of increasing government harassment against officially sanctioned TSPM churches. In particular , the Zhejiang provincial government launched a three -year (2013–2015) ‘‘Three Rectifications and One Demolition’’ campaign to ‘‘rectify’’ and demolish ‘‘illegal structures.’’ While the campaign’s stated aim was to address ‘‘illegal structures,’’ official rhetoric at meetings and in government work plans appeared to demonstrate a negative view of the growth of Christianity in Zhejiang and an intention to target religious sites, especially Christian sites, for demolition. According to a May 2014 New York Times report, an internal Zhejiang government document named Christianity and crosses as the intended targets of its campaign against ‘‘excessive religious sites’’ and ‘‘overly popular religious activities.’’ The U.S.-based non-governmental organization ChinaAid reported that, as of August 7, 2014, the campaign has affected at least 231 churches in Zhejiang province.» Quelle: CECC – Congressional-Executive Commission on China: Annual Report 2014, 9. Oktober 2014, S. 96f: www.ecoi.net/file_upload/90_1412919632_cecc -annual-report-2014-china.pdf.

4

Ist für Mitglieder von Eastern Lightning eine leg ale Ausreise aus China möglich?

Rechtliche Grundlagen für ein Ausreiseverbot. In seinem Bericht vom März 2014 legt das Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation (ACCORD) die Umstände dar, unter denen die chinesischen Behörden bestimmten Personen die Ausreise aus China verweigert. Demnach wird eine Person am Verlassen des Landes gehindert, sofern ein strafrechtliches Urteil gegen sie ausgesprochen, aber noch nicht vollzogen wurde. Auch Personen, die sich in einem unabgeschlossenen Zivilprozess befinden, wi rd die Ausreise verwehrt. Darüber hinaus kann eine Person daran gehindert werden, China zu verlassen, wenn sie als

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Gefahr für die nationale Sicherheit eingestuft oder beschuldigt wird, nationalen Interessen zuwiderzuhandeln. Personen, die im Verdacht stehe n, die Ausreisebedingungen nicht zu erfüllen, können beim Versuch, das Land zu verlassen, an Ort und Stelle verhört werden. Ausreiseverbote werden durchgesetzt. Gemäss demselben Bericht werden diese Bestimmungen sowohl an Flughäfen als auch an anderen Gren zübergängen durchgesetzt. In verschiedenen Fällen nannten Grenzbeamte in der Vergangenheit gegenüber chinesischen Bürgerinnen und Bürgern die «Gefährdung der nationalen Sicherheit» als Grund für das Verweigern der Ausreise. Sicherheitsdienste an Flughäfen haben Zugriff auf Polizeidaten. Im IRB-Bericht vom 6. März 2014 ist festgehalten, dass die Geheimhaltung der chinesischen Behörden es enorm erschweren, die spezifischen Taktiken und Methoden der Behörden zu durchschauen. Es gibt jedoch Hinweise darauf, das s die Sicherheitsdienste der Flughäfen Zugang zur Onlinedatenbank des Chinesischen Büros für Öffentliche Sicherheit haben. Sie haben entsprechend Zugriff auf Informationen zu gerichtlich verurteilten oder polizeilich gesuchten Personen. Sofern eine Person in der entsprechenden Datenbank erfasst ist, kann sie daher von den Sicherheitsdiensten beim Versuch der Ausreise identifiziert werden. ACCORD, März 2014: «Article 12 Under any of the following circumstances, Chinese citizens are not allowed to exit China: (1) Hold no valid exit/entry documents, or refuse or evade border inspection; (2) Are sentenced to criminal punishments, the execution of which have not been completed, or are suspects or defendants in criminal cases; (3) Are involved in unsettled civil cases and not allowed to exit China upon decision of the people’s courts; (4) Are subject to criminal punishment for impairing border administration, or a re repatriated by other countries or regions due to illegal exit from China, illegal residence or illegal employment, and the No -Exit-from-China period has not expired; (5) May endanger national security or interests, and are not allowed to exit China upon decision by competent departments under the State Council; or (6) Other circumstances in which exit from China is not allowed in accordance with laws or administrative regulations. (…) The Exit and Entry Administration Law further stipulates in its Articles 59, 65, 66, 67, 68 and 69 of Chapter 6: “Article 59 Persons suspected of violating the regulations on exit/entry administration may be interrogated on the spot; upo n on-the-spot interrogation,

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the aforesaid persons may be interrogated in continuation in accordance with the law under any of the following circumstances: (1) Are suspected of illegally exiting or entering China; (2) Are suspected of assisting others in illegally exiting or entering China; (3) Are foreigners suspected of illegally residing or working in China; or (4) Are suspected of endangering national security or interests, disrupting social or public order, or engaging in other illegal or criminal activities. On-the-spot interrogation and continued interrogation shall be conducted in accordance with the procedures prescribed in the People’s Police Law of the People’s Republic of China. Where public security organs under local people’s governments at or above the county level or exit/entry border inspection authorities need to summon the persons suspected of violating the regulations on exit/entry administration, they shall handle the matter in accordance with the relevant regulations of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Penalties for Administration of Public Security. […] Article 65 Where persons are not allowed to exit or enter China upon decisions made in accordance with the law, the decision -making authorities shall duly inform the exit/entry border inspection authorities of such decisions in accordance with relevant regulations; where the circumstances in which the persons are not allowed to exit or enter China disappear, the decision -making authorities shall duly cancel the aforesaid decisions and inform exit/entry border inspection authorities of the cancellation. Article 66 On the basis of the need for safeguarding national security and maintaining the order of exit/entry administration, exit/entry border inspection authorities may , when necessary, search the persons entering and exiting the country. Personal Search shall be conducted by two border inspectors who are the same sex as the persons subject to the search. (…) The US Department of State (USDOS) notes in its annual report on human rights of February 2014: “The government exercised exit control for departing passengers at airports and other border crossings and utilized this exit control to deny foreign travel to dissidents and persons employed in sensitive government post s. Throughout the year lawyers, artists, authors, and other activists were at times prevented from freely exiting the country. Border officials and police cited threats to ‘national security’ as the reason for refusing permission to leave the country. Auth orities stopped most persons at the airport at the time of the attempted travel. Wuxi environmental activist Wu Lihong was prevented from traveling abroad to accept a human rights award in July. Shanghai activist Zheng Enchong was prevented from accepting a teaching fellowship in Hong Kong in August. Shanghai activist Chen Jianfang was prevented from traveling to a UN human rights training course in Geneva in September.

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Well known artist Ai Weiwei was denied a passport to attend exhibitions of his work abroad. Other activists also reported being blocked from traveling abroad.” (USDOS, 27 February 2014, section 2d) The same report continues: “Most citizens could obtain passports, although those government deemed potential threats, including religious leaders, political dissidents, petitioners, and ethnic minorities, reported routinely being refused passports or otherwise prevented from traveling overseas. Ethnic Uighurs, particularly those residing in the XUAR, reported that it was very difficult to get a passport application approved at the local level. They were frequently denied passports to travel abroad, particularly to Saudi Arabia for th e haj, other Muslim countries, or Western countries for academic or other purposes. Authorities reportedly seized valid passports of some residents of the XUAR and other citizens. In the TAR and Tibetan areas of Qinghai, Gansu, and Sichuan provinces, ethnic Tibetans experienced great difficulty acquiring passports. The unwillingness of Chinese authorities in Tibetan areas to issue or renew passports for ethnic Tibetans created, in effect, a ban on foreign travel for a large segment of the Tibetan population . Han residents of Tibetan areas did not experience the same difficulties.” (USDOS, 27 February 2014, section 2d)» Quelle: ACCORD – Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation , China: COI Compilation – March 2014, März 2014, S. 305ff: www.ecoi.net/file_upload/90_1396338234_accord -2014-03-china.pdf.

IRB, 6. März 2014: «The Laogai Research Foundation representative noted that, in addi tion to monitoring and restricting the movements of political dissidents, the authorities also "often monitor and harass" their family members, including by denying them permission to travel abroad (26 Feb. 2014). The representative noted that his organiza tion has "no evidence that the Chinese authorities routinely target the families of individuals charged with committing non-political crimes" (Laogai Research Foundation 26 Feb. 2014). He also stated that [i]t should be noted that Chinese secrecy laws make it extraordinarily difficult to obtain accurate information on politically sensitive subjects, such as restrictions on the freedom of travel .... As such, it is often impossible to obtain official records regarding surveillance techniques and capabilities, criminal investigations in politically sensitive cases, the treatment of certain ethnic minority groups, and procedures involved in restricting the ability of an individual to travel. Moreover, despite recently announced intent t o clarify the content of state secrets laws, such regulations remain vague and subject to the discretion of Communist Party officials. (ibid.) (…) 3. Information Sharing by Public Security Officials In 10 February 2014 correspondence with the Research Dire ctorate, the Executive Director of the Dui Hua Foundation affirmed that airport security officials have access to the Public Security Bureau of China's online database of citizens who have been convicted of crimes or are wanted by the authorities [also known as

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Policenet or the Golden Shield]. Similarly, the representative of the Laogai Research Foundation stated that reports on "experiences of activists who have been detained while trying to board an international flight provide clear evidence that airport officials are connected to Policenet" (26 Feb. 2014). A colleague of Cao Shunli, who was also prevented from travelling to Geneva for the human rights training in September 2013, later publicized her own experience at the airport in Guangdong (HRIC 11 Oct . 2013). According to the Laogai Research Foundation, the colleague indicates that when her passport was swiped by airport authorities, scanning equipment immediately made noises alerting airport officials that she was wanted by police. She was subsequently detained in the Guangdong Baiyun Airport and told that Shanghai police would not let her leave. She was then transported from Guangdong to Shanghai for detention and questioning. This woman's experience provides concrete evidence of airport officials coo rdinating with police departments in tracking and detaining a political dissident. (26 Feb. 2014) (…) 4. Security and Exit Control Procedures The representative of the Laogai Research Foundation wrote that the Chinese government checks the passports of cit izens attempting to leave the country in order to ensure that they are suitable for foreign travel. Customs officials stamp the passports of citizens approved for foreign travel. Public security officials often confiscate passports held by individuals deem ed unsuitable for foreign travel. (23 Feb. 2014») Quelle: IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, China: Exit controls and security measures at airports for Chinese citizens travelling overseas, including procedures at check points and the use of computerized identity verification; sharing of information with officials at airports (2011 -February 2014) [CHN104761.E], 6. März 2014: www.ecoi.net/local_link/287615/421569_de.html .

5

Moderate Rekrutierungspraktiken bei Eastern Lightning?

Kaum Berichte über moderate Mitglieder. Über die Zusammensetzung der Mitglieder von Eastern Lightning konnten im Rahmen der vorliegenden Schnellrecherche sehr wenige fundierte Daten ausfindig gemacht werden. Entsprechend können kaum Aussagen gemacht werden über Gläubige, die bei ihren Missionierungsbemühungen moderater vorgehen als andere. Die existierenden Berichte beschränken sich in aller Regel auf die aufsehenerregenden Fälle, in denen Mitglieder von Eastern Lightning in besonderem Masse aggressiv und gewalttätig in Erscheinung traten. Rekrutierung nach Pyramidensystem. In einem CNN-Bericht vom 3. Februar 2015 wird darauf hingewiesen, dass das Rekrutierungsprinzip von Eastern Lightning ansatzweise einem Pyramidensystem ähnelt. Das heisst, dass man innerhalb der Glaubensgemeinschaft einen höheren Status erla ngen kann, wenn man möglichst viele Neumitglieder rekrutiert. So werden die Mitglieder für gewöhnlich ermutigt, von Tür zu Tür zu gehen um zu missionieren. Einem Bericht der International Business Times vom 10. Dezember 2014 zufolge werden Neumitglieder au sserdem gelegentlich mit Geld, Geschenken, sowie sexuellen Gefälligkeiten umworben. Die meisten

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Neumitglieder sind laut CNN-Bericht christliche Frauen mittleren Alters, die häufig ländlichen Regionen und ärmlichen Verhältnissen entstammen. Zunehmend würde sich Eastern Lightning aber auch in urbanen Gegenden aktiv in Szene setzen. CNN, 3. Februar 2015: «Kidnappings, assaults alleged The sensational nature of Wu's killing triggered an outpouring of revulsion towards the group in Chinese social media. But it is not the first time the movement has been in the spotlight. In December 2012, Chinese authorities rounded up hundreds of Eastern Lightning members when the group proclaimed, via loud public protests, that the end of the world was imminent. The state-run China Daily reported that in October and November 1998, the group was responsible for a spate of robberies and assaults in China's central Henan Province that left victims' limbs broken and ears cut off. And in 2002, the group allegedly kidnapped 34 evangelical Christian leaders belonging to the China Gospel Fellowship by posing as representatives of a theological institute from Singapore, holding them for two months in an effort to convert them, said Dunn. The kidnapping episode reflected a longstanding strategy from Eastern Lightning to try to co-opt entire congregations -- whether underground "house churches," or state-sanctioned Protestant and Catholic churches -- by converting their leaders, she said. To this end, they were said to use tactics including seducing, extorting or threatening pastors. But most Eastern Lightning converts were middle -aged Christian women, said Dunn, with many hailing from impoverished rural areas, although the movement seemed to be increasingly penetrating wealthier urban areas. The group appealed to potential recruits through a promise of saving them from impending disaster or fatal disease, and had a reputation for strong -arm tactics. "People are encouraged to door-knock, to pressure everyone they know to join the group. They send out evangelists throughout China," she said. "Their message is that if you don't join, you're more likely to go to hell or perhaps drop dead from cancer or God's judgment in some other form." A foothold in Hong Kong Kevin Yeung is the general-secretary of Hong Kong's Concern Group on Newly Emerged Religions, an organization formed by various evangelical Christian churches in the Chinese territory to monitor the growth of new religions, provide public information about the groups and assist those looking to leave.

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Affiliated churches report to the group when members of their congregations are approached by or defect to cult-like new religious movements, he said. He told CNN his group had been monitoring Eastern Lightning since 2008, but had noted an increasingly aggressive push by the group to convert Christians in the territory over the past few years. He estimated Eastern Lightning had approached m embers of about 500 churches in Hong Kong, and won about 2,000 converts. Their prime targets were middle-aged women from the Mainland, he said. His group had concerns about Eastern Lightning, as members typically heard reports that those who converted would often spend virtually all their waking hours with other members of the movement, damaging their ties with their families. Dennis Balcombe, an American pastor who preaches in China for the Revival Christian Church, told CNN he had spoken to people from ma ny churches that had "lost a lot of people to the cult." "We don't hear of people coming out of it," he said. "It's like a mafia -- once you're in it, how do you get out?" Balcombe said he had a run-in with the group when four members came to his office in Hong Kong one Sunday in an apparent attempt to convert him. When he accused them of being Eastern Lightning and tried to photograph them, they physically attacked him, he said, showing CNN pictures taken during the alleged assault. Elements of the group's operation seemed like a pyramid scheme, he said. Unfairly persecuted: Lawyer But human rights lawyer Teng Biao, who has previously acted as defense lawyer for the banned spiritual movement Falun Gong, said the group had a right to its beliefs, and should not be persecuted by the government for subscribing to an unorthodox faith. "A believer can be jailed for years only because he or she gives materials to other people," he said. "It's okay to punish a criminal, that's okay. But the problem is that the government not only punishes the criminals, but the whole religious group -even when they didn't commit any crimes." China has a long history of disruptive quasi -Christian movements, said Dunn. The Taiping Rebellion, a civil war in southern China which clai med over 20 million lives from 1850-1864, was a millenarian movement led by a figure who claimed to be the younger brother of Jesus. It is credited with hastening the fall of the Qing Dynasty.

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Dunn said she believed Beijing's suppression of unauthorized Ch ristian groups, or "house churches," had assisted Eastern Lightning's success, saying it made it more difficult for the faithful "to tell one underground organization talking about a Christ from another."» Quelle: CNN, ‘Eastern Lightning’: The Banned Religious Group that Has China Worried, 3. Februar 2015: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/06/world/asia/china -eastern-lightning-killing/.

International Business Times, 10. Dezember 2014: «According to a 2014 report by China’s People Daily, members who attract more converts gain a higher status within the cult. Tactics include missionary work where nonmembers are enticed with money, gifts and sexual favors. A member receives 20,000 yuan ($3,237) for every new person they convert. New members are encouraged to purchase religious materials and pay 2,000 yuan ($323) in membership fees. They are told they will be punished if they leave the faith.» Quelle: International Business Times, 10. Dezember 2014: www.ibtimes.com/chinas-cult-crackdown-what-church-almighty-god-1747990 .

6

Zhao Weishan und Yang Xiangbin

Über den Gründer ist wenig bekannt. Zhao W eishan begründete Eastern Lightning laut CNN-Bericht vom 3. Februar 2015 in den frühen 1990er -Jahren. Demnach war er zuvor Physiklehrer gewesen. Er war bereits früher Mitglied und dann Oberhaupt zweier verschiedener Sekten gewesen. Bei Eastern Lightning war er nun in der Position des Hohepriesters. Eine der Grundlagen seiner Glaubenslehre stellt die Annahme dar, dass Yang Xiangbin, seine um 20 Jahre jüngere Partnerin, eine Reinkarnation von Jesus Christus darstellt. Gemäss demselben Bericht machen die Mitglieder von Eastern Lightning laut der australischen Historikerin Emily Dunn aber keine Angaben über ihren gegenwärtigen Aufenthaltsort oder darüber, ob sie überhaupt noch am Leben sei. Internationale missionarische Aktivitäten . Laut einem zusammenfassenden Bericht zu Eastern Lightning, den Emily Dunn am 18. Februar 2015 auf der Internetplattform World Religions and Spirituality veröffentlichte, hat sich Zhao Weishan um das Jahr 2000 herum aus China abgesetzt um in den USA um politisches Asyl zu ersuchen. Es ist demnach möglich, dass Yang Xiangbin mit ihm zusammen aus China ausgereist ist. Über den konkreten Einfluss, den Zhao W eishan zum heutigen Zeitpunkt auf die Mitglieder seiner Glaubensgemeinschaft hat oder ausübt, können auf der Basis der vorliegenden Informationen keine Aussagen gemacht werden. K lar scheint aber, dass Eastern Lightning auch ausserhalb Chinas Fuss gefasst hat. So berichtet Emily Dunn im selben Bericht von missionarischen Bemühungen, die Eastern Lightning-Mitglieder weltweit unternehmen. Entsprechende Aktivitäten können in den chine sischstämmigen Bevölkerungsteilen einzelner amerikanischer Grossstädte, sowie Englands, Kanadas, Italiens, Schwedens und Südkoreas beobachtet werden. CNN, 3. Februar 2015: «A female Christ?

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Eastern Lightning was founded in the early 1990s by Zhao Weishan, a physics teacher with a history of membership of radical quasi -Christian sects, who preached about a female Christ figure hailing from China, said Dunn. The group's moniker was drawn from a verse in the New Testament: "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be". In a video produced by Chinese police warning about the group, it is claimed that Zhao first became a member of a radical religious movement, known as the Shouters, in 1987. It said he honed his expertise at religious "scams" there, before branching off in 1989 with a movement, based in Heilongjiang Province, elevating himself as the object of veneration. When the group was broken up by authorities, said the video, Zha o abandoned his family and fled to Shandong and Henan provinces. He teamed up with a woman 20 years his junior, and began preaching that she was the Female Christ, with himself as the new movement's high priest , according to the video. The police referred to the woman as Yang Xiangbin; Dunn said she was also known to followers as "Lightning" Deng, although the group had released statements online denying this was the case. "But they don't say whether she's still alive or where she is or what her name is, " said Dunn. "They don't tell you anything but that she was a middle -aged woman who was inspired by God and God spoke to her, so she started speaking God's word." The police video said Zhao fled to the United States in 2000.» Quelle: CNN, ‘Eastern Lightning’: The Banned Religious Group that Has China Worried, 3. Februar 2015: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/06/world/asia/china -eastern-lightning-killing/.

World Religions and Spirituality Project , 18. Februar 2015: «Zhao is reported to have entered the U.S. and sought political asylum on the basis of religious persecution in around the year 2000, possibly with Yang . By 2014, The Church had been reported to be pros elytizing in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and the group's website, Facebook page and YouTube uploads also indicated attempts to recruit from Chinese-speaking communities in San Francisco, Seattle, England, Canada, Italy, Sweden, and South Korea. Within China, it has transformed from an exclusively rural movement, to one that can increasingly be found in major cities. The number of adherents within China cannot be ascertained due to the group's illegal status, but an estimate of one million members is credible.» Quelle: Emily Dunn, World Religions and Spirituality Project VCU: ‘Church of Almighty God/Eastern Lightning’, 18. Februar 2015: http://wrs.vcu.edu/profiles/ChurchOfAlmightyGod.html .

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