Press Release - November 24, 1995

Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A. - 1) On the early morning of November 22, 1995, more than 40 police vehicles with about 150 public security officers under the direction of the Mayor of Qing Yuan Xian, Hebei, and the chief security officer of that district blockaded all roads leading to Bei Deng Cun, Dong Lu and Quan Kun and barbarically destroyed and levelled the newly-built Roman Catholic Church (about 170 square meters) in Bei Deng Cun , Hebei, severely beat the Catholic construction workers, causing five injuries, and detained the following Catholic lay persons at the detention center of Qing Yuan Xian.

1) MA Zhi
2) MA Chong Yan
3) MA Yan Jiun
4) LIU Guo Wei
5) MA Qi En
6) MA Yong Jie
7) Ma Gui Xian

This is the second incidence of tearing down a church in the Diocese of Baoding this year and is indisputable evidence that the so called "religious freedom" in China is nothing but a sham. We believe that the international business community, which has a financial interest in China, should take note of the true nature of the religious and human rights policy in China and act accordingly.

2) Bishop Li Hongye, Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Luoyang in Henan Province, recently jailed by the Chinese government on July 25, 1994, was recently released (date unknown).