Two Missionaries Released from Detention in Inner Mongolia
China Aid Associationrelease says that two of the four missionaries detained in Inner Mongolia in early July have been released after serving 30 days administrative detention.
Yu Yongqing and Li Shusen were released on Aug. 6 and Aug 10, respectively. Yu Yongqing was released after paying an undisclosed amount of money to PSB officials for his release. Two of the four detained missionaries, Li Li and Wang Shuang remain in detention. Mr. Wang’s wife and sister visited the PSB detention center where he was being held upon entering the station they were shown into Wang’s cell where he was seen being hung by handcuffs. The two women left seriously distraught yet helpless to change the situation.
The other detainee, Li Li has been diagnosed by PSB officials as having a serious lung disease and possibly lung cancer. Detention guard officials fearful that Li will die under their watch have determined that Li will be placed under house detention with the condition that Li will promise not to escape while at home.
China Aid Association headquartered in Texas USA had reported that authorities in Wulanhaote, Inner Mongolia detained four missionaries on July 20, 2008. It first occurred on July 6 when the Municipal Public Security Bureau detained Yu Yongqing, a house church missionary. After that, on July 17, missionary Li Li and her husband Li Shusen were also arrested. At 9:00 p.m. on July 25, missionary Wang Shuang was taken away by the police and arrested. The charges against them were “utilizing a cult to undermine the implementation of the state law.”
According to an insider, “The authorities are apt to arrest leaders of the churches. They arrest whoever is in charge of the affairs. A sister of mine and I went to visit Li Li at a detention center and tried to give her some luggage. They directed us to the Homeland Security Defense Brigade office. The Homeland Security Defense Brigade of the Municipal Public Security Bureau is in charge of arresting people. They asked me direct questions and the investigation was thorough. They asked me how many years I have been a Christian and where I was baptized. Upon seeing me, she knew immediately that I am an ordinary believer and not a leader. Therefore, she didn’t arrest us.
According to China Aid Association source, most of these believers are peasants living in rural suburban areas and they are very simple people without sophistication.
On the other hand, Li Li came to this area to preach the Gospel from Jilin Province. She lived in urban areas. When they first arrested Li Li, the police also took away her two brothers who were not released until the second day. The above-mentioned insider also said: “The charges against other people are not as serious as Li Li. They accused Li Li of associating with overseas reactionaries. They said people from overseas once sent her a remittance of 1,500 at a time and sometimes even 20,000. In fact, there is no such a thing.”
Another insider told China Aid Association that when some sisters went to the public security bureau to visit Wang Shuang, they saw with their own eyes a scene of horror. He said: “When his sisters and his wife went to see him (Wang Shuang), they saw upon entering the door that he was being hung with handcuffs. His trousers were at the bottom and his underwear was up there without the waistband. When the sisters came back and told other people, they were shocked.
