Secret Directive Targets Underground Church Leaders in China
by Allie Martin

(AgapePress) - A top-secret document has been discovered which instructs Chinese authorities to persecute and harass unregistered churches in China, and reveals a systematic campaign by communist officials there to intimidate the underground Christian Church.

The document, recently obtained by Voice of the Martyrs, instructs officials with the Public Security Bureau to terminate illegal church activities. The directive was aimed at silencing the underground Christian Church in advance of the Communist Party's 16th National Congress held last November.

Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs says the directive is a "smoking gun."

"It goes into some detail, especially in the nature of infiltrating the groups, getting people inside [the church], meeting the Christians, and attending these gatherings on a regular basis in order that they can identify the leaders of each group," Nettleton says.

"They feel that by taking out the leadership they can end the meetings of the Christians there."

He adds that the directive details several efforts to harass and intimidate the unregistered Christian groups and to identify where they meet - all in order that the government will be able to crack down on them. The document also informs officials that awards would be granted to them on the basis of performance and achievement.

Nettleton says Americans should contact their representatives in Congress and file formal complaints against the Chinese government.

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