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Skeptics speak out as Beijing issues new religion rules

China yesterday introduced new regulations intended to protect freedom of faith, although critics argue that the broad guidelines could be used to persecute religious groups that authorities deem troublesome.

The guidelines are meant to provide a legal framework for China's constitutional promise of freedom of religion, state media reported.

Under existing laws, communist authorities allow worship only in state-monitored churches, temples or mosques. Millions of believers attend unauthorized services, often in private homes, but are subject to arrest and harassment.

China, which will convene its annual legislative session on Saturday in Beijing, has banned many religious or spiritual groups, including the Falun Gong movement and churches loyal to the pope. It also tightly controls Tibetan Buddhism.

The Regulations on Religious Affairs cover everything from how licensed organizations can accept religious donations and claim tax exemptions, to how religious institutions may accept foreign students, among other topics, according to the state-run China Daily.

The new law says that "anyone who compels citizens to believe in or not believe in any religions ... shall be ordered to make corrections by the religious affairs department" and could face criminal charges, the newspaper said.

Such language could be used to persecute the faithful that it allegedly protects, contends Nicolas Becquelin, research director of the New York-based group Human Rights in China.

"The law purports to protect `normal' religious activities which in effect means religious activities expressly authorized by the state through a system of compulsory licensing and mandatory inspections," he said.

Becquelin said overly broad regulations have in the past been used as a pretext to "suspend, ban and suppress religious congregations as well as fine, detain or arrest religious practitioners."

Other foreign observers say the outcome of the new law remains uncertain.

Egil Lothe of the Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief, a nonprofit Norwegian group, said the new regulations offer "an improvement on present practices," because they give clearer procedures for registering religious groups and institutions.

But, "to what extent the regulations will change other aspects of Chinese policies on religion remains to be seen," Lothe added.

The US State Department said in a 2003 report that China "tries to control and regulate religious groups to prevent the rise of groups that could constitute sources of authority outside of the control of the government and the Chinese Communist Party."

The report called the Chinese government's respect for religious freedom "poor."
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