Source: www.persecution.org
Date: June 11, 2024
China (International Christian Concern) — At 7 a.m. on June 4, Fu Lijun, a Chinese Christian, heard a knock on his door. When he opened it, Chengdu National Security Bureau agents arrested him and took him away.
Authorities arrested Fu, a member of Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church, for a social media post on WeChat, a popular Chinese social media and messaging app that Communist officials monitor.
Fu’s post included a song and a prayer that commemorated the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, in which China’s Communist government killed pro-democracy protestors. Estimated death tolls range from a few hundred people to several thousand people. Any remembrance of the massacre is strictly forbidden in China. Communist officials have manipulated search engines to turn off results tied to the event.
Authorities placed Fu in administrative detention until June 10. Although he is believed to have been freed, authorities will likely continue to monitor and harass Fu.
This incident is yet another in a long line of attacks and pressure Communist officials have made on Early Rain church members, who have suffered immense persecution in recent years. The church’s pastor, Wang Yi, was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2019. Authorities shuttered the church, but many members secretly meet in their homes.
International Christian Concern (ICC) recently reported on the crackdown on vigils or commemorations of Tiananmen Square in Hong Kong, again showing the growing influence of China on Hong Kong affairs and society.
HOW TO PRAY: Praise God that Fu Lijun has since been released. Pray for his protection from future arrests. Pray for hearts within China’s communist regime to be opened to the gospel.