On March 25, Sichuan Daily published a list of 84 groups collectively referred to as “illegal social organizations”. The action in Sichuan province is actually part of a special campaign by the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security and other 22 departments to “combat illegal social organizations” in recent days, which has affected five types of social organizations.
“Yesterday, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, together with relevant departments, jointly held a teleconference to fully deploy a special operation to further crack down on illegal social organizations, focusing on five types of illegal social organizations. ……”
This is a quote from the official mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, China Central Television (CCTV), in a March 21 news program. This news item indicates that the CCP’s official “special action” will focus on cracking down on “activities in the fields of economy, Culture and charity in the name of national strategies” and “organizations with the names of ‘China’ and ‘China’. China’, ‘China’, ‘national’ and other words, or under the name of state organs, institutions and other subordinate organizations”, “and legally registered social The five categories of “illegal activities” are: “activities carried out in collusion with legally registered social organizations, and confusing them with pearls”, “activities of selection and evaluation on the occasion of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China”, “activities of pseudo-health, pseudo-nationalism and mysticism, and activities under the banner of religion”. “The five types of “illegal social organizations”.
And now, this “special action” has spread to some provinces and cities.
For example, on March 25, the Sichuan Provincial Civil Affairs Department also released a list of “illegal social organizations,” which includes a number of Christian and Buddhist groups, including the Chengdu Church of the Blessing of Autumn Rain, which continues to be persecuted by the authorities.
List of “illegal social organizations” published by China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs on February 18, 2021 (website of the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs)
Pastor Liu Yi, founder of the Chinese Christian Justice Fellowship, who now lives in California, said, “In the eyes of the Chinese government, any religious group, even charitable organizations, that do not accept the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party are ‘illegal organizations’ because The Chinese government fears that these civic groups will become a force to supposedly subvert them.”
Among the list of “illegal social organizations” published by the Chinese Communist authorities, there are also many private charities and public welfare groups. In fact, many religious groups and charities are not interested in politics, but just want to start some charity work in China. I think such a ‘crackdown’ will only be counterproductive.”
List of “illegal social organizations” published by the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs on March 24, 2021 (website of the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs)
A document published on the website of China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs on March 22 shows that 22 departments, including the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Organization Department, the Propaganda Department, the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the Ministry of Public Security, and other Chinese party and government organs, jointly issued the Notice on Eliminating the Breeding Ground of Illegal Social Organizations and Purifying the Ecological Space of Social Organizations on March 20. The circular prohibits enterprises and institutions, social organizations, party members and cadres, and the media from associating with, participating in, or reporting on “illegal social organizations”.
In addition, the notice also requires that “various public service facilities and places”, “all Internet enterprises”, “all financial institutions” shall not provide “illegal Social organization activities to facilitate”, and said it will “further increase the cost of illegal social organizations to break the law”.
It is worth noting that the list of “illegal social organizations” announced by the Sichuan Provincial Civil Affairs Department on March 25 is quite large, with as many as 84 groups from various industries listed. Ms. Liu, who now lives in the western United States and is from Pingwu, Sichuan, expressed her views on this situation from the perspective of the cultural traditions of Sichuan: “I think it has to do with the tradition of self-organization in Sichuan. In terms of the tradition of opposing authority and organizing oneself, Bashu has always been quite strong. The Chinese Communist Party is more worried that this kind of local self-organization will grow and become a threat to its rule.”
Calls to the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Sichuan Provincial Civil Affairs Department went unanswered.
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