Source: www.ChinaAid.org
Date: June 29, 2021
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(Hebei Province—June 29, 2021) Signs that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has intensified its censorship on religious books, videos and audios before July 1st, the 100th anniversary of CCP, abound.
Recently, a primary school teacher (last name: Hou) from Chengde Elementary School (in Qingyun County) sent a WeChat group message to parents, notifying them that the CCP forbids students to read religious books, currently categorized as reactionary publications. According to the previous screenshot of the message, the teacher sent the following notice to parents:
Please check all books (and videos, audios) that Xinhua Publishing House did not publish to identify religious books, reactionary books, and foreign books (imported foreign books, photocopies of imported foreign books, and translated foreign books).
Requirements:
1. The dean of each grade oversees teachers of the corresponding grade. The head teacher of each class monitors the students of the class. Be sure to thoroughly check [inventories] and not miss any offenses.
2. Pay special attention to book corners [stores] and libraries.
3. Complete the checkup by June 21 (next Monday), and reply in the group in this format:
xx grade does not possess any religious books, reactionary books, nor foreign books (imported foreign books, photocopies of imported foreign books, and translated foreign books).
4. Please pay special attention to this political task.
Reports appear to infer that this “political task” applies not only to Chengde Elementary School, but that other schools may also have received such a notice, including those in the Qingyun County, and Shandong Province. Usually, publicity department personnel, not teachers, send this type of notice to local education commissions, and in turn, they forward the notice to all schools.
For years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has sent administrative orders (from higher to lowers levels) through internal documents and internal notices that have contradicted the Constitution. Authorities do not, however, make the administrative orders available on official channels and public medias.
Two days prior to Chengde Elementary School’s WeChat notice, WeChat posted the following similar information through its mini-program called “mini checkin”:
To implement regulations on the management of religious information on the Internet, as well as operating regulations of WeChat mini-program platform, the “mini checkin” platform will continuously delete all circles, topics, journals, audios and videos that are related to religion.
Article 7: Foreign [non-mainland] organizations or individuals, and organizations they establish in mainland China, must not engage in Internet Religious Information Services in mainland China.
Article 16: Religious groups, religious schools, and religious activity sites that have obtained "Internet Religious Information Services Licenses" may have religious professionals preach on online platforms that they have established themselves, and interpret religious doctrine and rules with content conductive to social harmony, the progress of the times, and healthy civilization, leading religious citizens in proper thought and action. Preaching is to implement a real-name management system.
Other organizations or individuals must not preach on the Internet, or forward or link to related content.
Article 17: Religious schools that have obtained “Internet Religious Information Services Licenses” may carry out religious education and training aimed at the religious school's students and religious professionals, on online platforms that they establish themselves; and education and training is to implement a real-name management system. Other organizations or individuals must not carry out religious education and training on the Internet.
Article 18: Organizations and individuals must not transmit text, images, A/V, etc. of religious activities such as Buddhist prayer, burning incense, ordainment, chanting scripture, pray, mass, or baptisms, in any manner live or recorded.
Article 19: Organizations and individuals must not raise funds on the internet in the name of religious schools on the internet.
Charitable organizations founded by religious groups, religious schools, and religious activity sites that carry out charitable fundraising on the Internet shall follow the relevant provisions of the "P.R.C. Charity Law."
If you need to export the deleted content, contact customer services within one month, and provide your “mini checkin” ID and email address.
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Screenshot of Chengde Elementary School’s notice to parents. (Photo: ChinaAid resource) |
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| Screen shot of WeChat “mini checkin” program’s notice. (Photo: ChinaAid resource) |
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The CCP characterizes “Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales” as a reactionary book. (Photo: ChinaAid resource)
With the CCP’s recent, intense wave of suppressing Christianity, authorities intervene all online and onsite religious gatherings. Officials fabricate charges to fine, detain, and arrest pastors, preachers, and Christians who speak publicly about their faith. They ban church schools, and only permit Three-self churches to sell the Holy Bible, banning it from other churches. CCP authorities also ban the Holy Bible, Christian books, and WeChat Christian official accounts on the internet. These censorship tactics reflect the atheistic CCP regime’s nature of anti-religious freedom, and the goal to control the people’s souls through its brain-washing agenda.
~ Yubing, ChinaAid Special Correspondent
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So then faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God.
~ Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
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