China: Henan Church Wins Rights to Land Where Pastor's Wife Was Killed

China: Henan Church Wins Rights to Land Where Pastor's Wife Was Killed

By Dan Wooding, Founder of ASSIST News Service

ZHUMADIAN, HENAN, CHINA (ANS – May 4, 2016) -- On Monday, April 25, 2016, less than two weeks after a Christian woman died from being buried alive at a forced church demolition, local authorities ruled that the disputed land where the incident took place belongs to the church and its pastor for use as a religious site.

“Following international outcry condemning the April 14 [2016] killing of Ding Cuimei, wife of Beitou Church’s pastor Li Jiangong, a special task force consisting of the township government, the local ministry of land and resources and a village administrative committee declared that the land where the incident took place is the property of Li Jiangong and Beitou Church,” revealed a story by Ava Collins for China Aid (www.chinaaid.org).

“A report issued by the task force declares that no individual or other organization should claim land from the church, and designates the site for religious use.

“Despite the victory for his church, Li Jiangong is concerned about the lack of action regarding his wife’s death. Though two members of the demolition crew were criminally detained at the time of the incident, authorities have released no information regarding their possible charges. The investigative bureau has reportedly taken no further action on the case.”

She went on to say that Li Dunyong, a lawyer from Beijing, will represent the family in the case of Ding’s murder. After an autopsy, Ding’s body was placed in a preservative case under a temporary tent near the site where she was killed.

“While we are glad to see that the local authorities acted swiftly and fairly under international pressure to resolve the church’s right to their land, we are concerned that justice for the family of the martyr is still not done,” said Bob Fu, president of China Aid.

“Pastor Li’s wife, Sister Ding Cuimei, was brutally killed on April 14. We appeal to the Chinese authorities to hold those criminal perpetrators accountable with a fair investigation and standard judicial process with full justice and unhindered legal representation by Beijing based human rights lawyer Li Dunyong.”

About China Aid:

China Aid was founded in 2002 on the announcement of death sentences for five Chinese house church leaders. In response, a mission was conceived to Expose-Encourage-Equip, and China Aid issued its first press release after meeting with Members of Congress and their staff, revealed details of these cases with then-Chinese president Jiang Zemin, launched its first letter-writing campaign, and sent its first team of trained human rights lawyers to defend those being persecuted. In the end, the five death sentences were overturned.

Over the past 13 years, China Aid's mission has evolved to one of exposing human rights abuses and promoting truth, justice and freedom by advocating for religious freedom and the rule of law in China. China Aid continues to endeavor for the immediate release of prisoners of conscience, equip human rights defenders and religious and community leaders with religious freedom and rule of law training, rescue and resettle persecuted leaders and their families, encourage families of prisoners of conscience by providing financial assistance, and exposing abuse by featuring unique stories of persecution and injustice on China Aid's website and through social media.

For more information, please contact Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director. Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985/ E-mail: r.ritchie@chinaaid.org . Website: www.chinaaid.org.

Photo captions: Li Jiangong. 2) Ding Cuimei’s body has been preserved at the site where she was killed. (Photo: China Aid). 3) Bob Fu, founder and president of China Aid. 4) Dan Wooding reporting from Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

About the writer: Dan Wooding, 75, is an award-winning winning author, broadcaster and journalist who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, and is now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for nearly 53 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. Dan is the founder and international director of the ASSIST News Service (ANS), and is the author or co-author of some 45 books, including the best-seller, “God’s Smuggler to China” which he co-wrote with Brother David and Sara Bruce. Dan has a radio show and two TV shows, all based in Southern California, and has reported from China on several occasions.

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