John Cao was arrested in 2017 by Chinese authorities for "illegally" crossing the border from Myanmar, where he worked. For years, he and a co-worker had crossed the same border with no problems. Married to a US citizen, he wrote a collection of poems in prison, which were published by ChinaAid, an organisation that fights for religious freedom in China.
Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Pastor John Cao was released three days ago from Kunming prison, Yunnan province, after serving a seven-year sentence.
A permanent resident of the United States and married to an American citizen, he worked as a missionary in Wa State, Myanmar, a border region that shares ethnic and trade ties with China.
The clergyman built 16 schools and tried to lift members of ethnic minorities out of poverty.
Chinese officials were aware of his activity and the need to cross the border between the two countries. Yet, in March 2017, he was arrested along with a colleague, Jing Ruxia.
Both men were jailed on charges of crossing the border illegally, even though they had not had any problems for years, notes ChinaAid, which advocates religious freedom in China.
Later the charge was changed to "organizing illegal border crossings" and in March 2018 he was sentenced to seven years in prison.
In 2019, a UN working group on arbitrary detention concluded that the pastor had been wrongfully detained, and ordered the Chinese government to release him immediately.
John Cao never abandoned his faith during his years of imprisonment.
In 2021, he began writing poetry, reflecting on his mission, prison, and family, eventually collected in a book, and published by the China Aid Association.