Wenzhou: Fireworks to celebrate the arrest of Christians

Just days before Christmas, a major security operation is underway in a town in the so-called Jerusalem of the East, Zhejiang Province. A Protestant community refused to display the flag of the People's Republic of China, after years of fighting against the removal of crosses. China Aid reports that at least 20 people have been arrested, a disturbing sign for all underground churches.

Milan (AsiaNews) – A fireworks display on the evening of 15 December suddenly lit up government square in Yayang, a town in Taishun County (Wenzhou), Zhejiang Province.

This was unusual since no official holiday or celebration fell on that date, yet local authorities staged a celebration that cost a million yuan.

The incident has raised numerous questions, that found an echo on social media, to which accounts close to the Communist Party of China promptly responded saying that it was “a spontaneous celebration by the masses for cracking down on violent crime.”

Eventually, the truth emerged. In the previous days, a new violent anti-Christian crackdown was carried out in Yayang, Wenzhou, the city known as the "Jerusalem of the East" due to the long history and faithfulness of local Christians.

Wenzhou is also where an "official" priest appointed by the authorities as head of the diocese, Father Ma Xianshi, is currently on trial on "corruption" charges related to the printing of a book of religious hymns.

For local Christians, this story is entirely implausible, convinced that he is likely paying for not sufficiently towing the party line.

The fireworks display concerns, however, the Yayang Assembly, a local Protestant church, whose situation has been described in detail by China Aid, the best informed US-based website on the life of China's underground Evangelical communities.

Since 13 December, more than a thousand agents from various parts of Zhejiang have reportedly been deployed to Yayang to carry out mass arrests.

In just a few days, hundreds of people were taken away for questioning, and at least 20 have been reportedly detained. The authorities blocked access to the church, confiscated personal property, and imposed strict controls on online information.

Comments linking the fireworks to the arrests were quickly deleted from Chinese social media and replaced with political slogans justifying the operation as a campaign against organised crime.

Two local religious leaders were among the main targets, namely Lin Enzhao (58) and Lin Enci (54), accused of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble," an expression used in China to vilify any form of dissent.

The two clergymen are known for defending the autonomy of the Yayang church, and opposing the demolition of crosses in the past. At present, they are said to be opposed to the forced installation of China’s national flag at the entrances to religious buildings.

According to local sources, the operation is believed to stem from tensions that built up over time between the Christian community and the authorities, particularly in relation to state policies aimed at the "sinicisation" of religion by imposing political symbols and values in places of worship.

Over the past ten years, Christians in Yayang have reportedly distinguished themselves for their staunch resistance to government restrictions, becoming a "sensitive" case for local authorities.

Following the arrests, on 18 December, the government held an official demonstration, displaying armed forces and equipment to intimidate people and justify its crackdown as a public security operation.

Currently, many religious activities have been suspended, communication between believers is hampered, and the situation remains unclear.

For many underground churches in China, events in Yayang this Christmas are another alarming sign of increasingly systematic and covert repression.