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Press Release - August 2, 2006

Contact: Joseph Kung
PO Box 8086, Stamford, CT 06905, U.S.A
Tel: 203-329-9712 Fax: 203-329-8415 E-Mail: jmkung@aol.com


A Underground Catholic Bishop Yao Liang is arrested again in China


Another priest and some 90 Catholics are also arrested



Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A. --- Bishop Yao Liang 姚良主教, 82 years of age, the underground Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Xiwanzi 西灣子 in Hebei Province 河北省, was arrested again by the Chinese authority on July 30, 2006. He is now being detained in Zhangjiakou City 張家口市. He was previously arrested on March 31, 2005.

On August 1, 2006, Father Li Huisheng 李會生神父, 33 years of age, an underground priest in the Diocese of Xiwanzi, was also arrested. His whereabouts are unknown. The underground Catholic community responded by group-protesting these arrests and petitioning immediate release of Bishop Yao Liang and Father Li Huisheng. At approximately 2 o'clock in the morning on August 2, the public security bureau mobilized approximately 500 police, attacked the Catholic community in Zhangjiakou 張家口, Zhangbei County 張北縣, and arrested some 90 underground Catholic faithful. In the shuffle, two male Catholics were seriously injured and required emergency hospital care. One pregnant woman had a miscarriage. Approximately 70 of those arrested have now been released. The other 20 are still being detained.

Joseph Kung, the President of the Cardinal Kung Foundation, said: "Repeatedly arresting an advanced age bishop, arresting a priest for his religious belief and activities, and then arresting some 90 Catholic faithful and seriously injuring some is clear evidence of total violation of human rights in China. This follows the destruction of a Protestant church on July 29 by thousands of military police according to Asia News. This kind of atrocity has become so routine in China I believe that the governments and the corporations of freedom loving countries must urgently take into greater consideration - consistently and persistently, and not haphazardly - all human rights violations, including these reported above, when forming and implementing their respective political and commercial decisions of their China policies. Moreover, once again I urge the Olympic Committee to consider canceling the Games in China in order to preserve their good name and spirit. Otherwise, the noble name of "Olympic" could be severely tarnished by its association with religious persecution and human rights violations in China."