The Persecution & Prayer Alert The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada http://www.persecution.net Wednesday, June 11, 2003

A summary of news concerning the Persecuted Church and how you can respond. *********************************** Contents: 1. Imprisoned Pastor Near Death (China) 2. Captured Children Killed (Sudan) 3. Question of the Week 4. Authorities Increase Pressure on Christian School (Pakistan) 5. Update on Bill C-250 (Canada) *********************************** 1. Imprisoned Pastor Near Death (China)

Pastor Gong Shengliang, the imprisoned founder of the South China Church, is reportedly near death after repeated torture in a Chinese prison. According to Bob Fu, President of China Aid Association, and China analyst for The Voice of the Martyrs, a source within the Jingzhou Prison sent a message to Gong’s family saying, “If you expect Mr. Gong to be alive, you shall do something immediately.” This source stated that Gong had been severely beaten by prison police. As a result, he is suffering from serious internal bleeding, has lost his hearing in one ear, and has been bed-ridden for more than two weeks. At times he has slipped into a coma. The source stated that Gong is receiving no medical attention. He is facing daily interrogation and no one has been allowed to personally visit him since April 14. Since then, the risk of spreading SARS has been used by the Chinese authorities as an excuse to refuse further contact. Sources who have called the prison say that authorities admit that Gong has been ill but deny that he is being tortured.

The Voice of the Martyrs is calling on Christians around the world to pray for Pastor Gong. He has remained firm in his faith and determination, refusing to confess to false allegations against him. Pray for his physical, psychological, and spiritual endurance.

We encourage you to contact Chinese authorities as well as leaders of your country. Let them know that the world has not forgotten this man and politely call on them to allow medical intervention. Note that Pastor Gong’s Chinese name is either Gong Shengliang or Gong Dali.

Below are some addresses to assist you:

President of the People’s Republic of China: HU Jintao The State Council General Office Yongneixijie Beijingshi 100017 Peoples Republic of China Salutation: Your Excellency

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China: LI Zhaoxing Waijiaobu 2 Chaoyangmen Nandajie Beijingshi 100701 People’s Republic of China Tel: 00 86 10 6596 1114 Fax: 00 86 10 6596 1109 / 2660 Salutation: Your Excellency

Chinese Embassy in Canada: His Excellency Ping MEI, Ambassador 515 St. Patrick Street, Ottawa, K1N 5H3, Canada Tel: (613) 789-3434,3513,8422/791-0511 (24h) Fax: (613) 789-1911 Email:

China’s Mission to the United Nations: Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations 350 East 35th Street, New York, NY 10016 Telephone: (212) 655-6100, Fax: (212) 634-7626 E-mail:

If you speak Chinese, we encourage you to telephone the Jingzhou Prison at 011-86-716-8422230 and ask about Pastor Gong’s condition.

To also send a note of encouragement to Pastor Gong at: Gong Shengliang, Ru Jian Dui, Jiaoyu Zhong Dui, Jingzhou Prison, Jingzhou City, Hubei Province, 434100 CHINA

Contact information for local government representatives is available at http://www.persecution.net/links.htm. For help in writing letters, guidelines are available at http://www.persecution.net/howto.htm. *********************************** 2. Captured Children Killed (Sudan)

Last week the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on a brutal attack on a village by government forces in Sudan in which fifty-nine people were killed, including the region’s only pastor, and sixteen were abducted (see http://www.persecution.net/pnparchive/arch7.htm#2).

In a press release issued today, Servant’s Heart, a US non-governmental organization with whom VOM partners in south Sudan, reports that the three boys who were kidnapped, ages four and six, have all been killed while in the custody of government forces. The remaining six women and seven girls are reportedly being held in the Government of Sudan regional military headquarters next to the Adar Yel oilfields in Eastern Upper Nile. It is expected that, unless something is done to gain their release, the women will be forcibly converted to Islam or “married” to military officers and the girls sold as slaves.

Last week’s report indicated that the family of Pastor Jacob Manyal was killed in the attack. It was later discovered that his wife is still alive but in captivity. She is reportedly the “guest” of the government Militia Commander Chayot in Adar Yel. Her testimony, undoubtedly gained under duress, is being used to downplay the incident. Her two sons, Ruon Gadet Manyal (6) and Reath Gadet Manyal (4) were among the three boys killed in captivity.

In response to the attack, the US-led Civilian Protection Monitoring Team (CPMT) has taken an aggressive stance against Servant’s Heart and reports about the attack, calling reaction to the incident “overblown.” Three investigators from the CPMT visited one of Servant’s Heart’s operational bases in Eastern Upper Nile on June 7, demanding that Servant’s Heart recant all statements. The head of the CPMT team told them, “We won’t let your lies ruin this peace. We will do whatever it takes to bury this report and continue to move forward with the peace agreement.” This is despite this attack being a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement. The US State Department was briefed by Servant’s Heart on June 9, but has remained silent.

We encourage you to contact your local government representatives, calling on them to take action against this brutal regime. The Voice of the Martyrs’ website contains links to find government contact information. Go to http://www.persecution.net/links.htm.

Pray for Pastor Manyal’s wife, Nyaduar Deang Jany, and the other twelve still in captivity. Pray that action will be taken to have them released before they suffer any further. *********************************** 3. Question of the Week

This week we report on a situation where western world leaders are remaining silent as a village is brutally attacked for no reason, women and children are kidnapped, and young boys are killed. This silence is being maintained in the hope that the Machakos peace talks can be salvaged and lasting peace achieved in Sudan.

Our question this week is: Is there a time for governments to legitimately remain silent in the face of atrocities in the hope of bringing a lasting peace to a society?

To participate in our poll and discussion, go to http://www.persecution.net and click on “Discussion Forum.” If you have not registered on our forum in the past, click on “Register” and select a username and password. *********************************** 4. Authorities Increase Pressure on Christian School (Pakistan)

For the past several weeks, The Voice of the Martyrs has been following the plight of a Christian school in Islamabad, Pakistan, operated by Peace Worldwide. For more information, go to http://www.persecution.net/pnp3_se.htm.

As of yesterday, the school remains open, despite continuing government pressure on the leaders of the school and the owner of the building that they rent. On Monday, the Director of the Capital Development Authority threatened to burn the school’s furnishings and arrest the head of the school, Hector Aleem, as well as the owner of the building, Muhammad Hafiz. Booklets are being distributed in the community, claiming that the school is involved in preaching and teaching the Bible. According to Aleem, the school follows only government-approved curriculum.

Pray for endurance for Aleem and the others running the school, that they will continue to be able to provide an excellent education to their students in the face of this continuing pressure. Pray that the authorities will stop their attack on the school and allow it to continue to function. Pray for the owner, Muhammad Hafiz, as he stands against the authorities in allowing the school to continue operating in his building. *********************************** 5. Update on Bill C-250 (Canada)

According to the latest information available, Bill C-250 is up for final debate in the Canadian House of Commons today. The bill will then be voted on no earlier than Wednesday, June 18. If it is not voted on that day, the vote will not take place until the fall session. For more information on Bill C-250, the potential ramification for the church in Canada, and suggestions on what you can do, view our report from last week at http://www.persecution.net/pnparchive/arch7.htm#6. *********************************** The Persecution & Prayer Alert is a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada. (Mailing address: P.O. Box 117, Port Credit, Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4L5) Tel. (905) 670.9721. Fax: (905) 670.7642 Website: http://www.persecution.net *********************************** Contact Person: Glenn Penner, Communications Director.

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