Chinese pastor and interpreter detained on their way to meet European Union official
By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
Wednesday, June 18, 2008

BEIJING, CHINA (ANS) -- A Chinese pastor has been detained along with his interpreter when he was on his way to meet with a senior EU official in Beijing earlier today (June 18).

China Aid Association (CAA) says that according to a brief conversation over the phone at about 7:25pm Wednesday (Beijing time) with Zhang Mingxuan, Pastor Zhang was detained at 12:08pm on June 18 (Beijing Time) and being held at a Public Security Bureau office in Beijing.

CAA president Bob Fu was told over the phone that pastor Zhang was detained at a bus while he and his interpreter were on their way to meet with Dr. Bastiaan Belder (MEP), Rapporteur of the EP Committee of Foreign Affairs for the relationship between the EU and China, at Yanshan Hotel in Haidian District. Zhang's cellphone was forced to shut down by a PSB officer.

Both men are being detained at the Shuangyushu PSB office of Haidian District, Beijing city. Pastor Zhang Mingxuan is the president of Chinese House Church Alliance.

CAA urges the Chinese government to release pastor Zhang immediately and unconditionally.

CAA says that Zhang Mingxuan, president of the Chinese house church alliance, issued three open letters to the international community last year, informing the world to the sufferings and persecutions he has endured at the hands of the CPC.

Detailed in his third open letter are the many hardships and injustices pastor Zhang has had to endure throughout the years since becoming an outspoken evangelist and leader of the house church alliance.

Since his conversion to Christianity in 1986, Pastor Zhang has been arrested, beaten and incarcerated 12 times. Most recently, PSB and State officials forced Zhang to close the orphanage he had been running with his two sons.

Zhang and the orphans have continued to look for places of residence, but have been refused several times by landlords who have been threatened by officials not to lease to Zhang.

To voice your concern over the injustices Pastor Zhang has been forced to endure please contact:

The Office of PSB of Shuangyushu, Haidian District
Tel: +86-10-62561316
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Chinese Embassy in Washington DC
Address: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20007
Tel: (202) 338-6688, (202)5889760
Fax: (202) 588-9760