CHINA

BISHOP JAMES SU ZHIMIN

The whereabouts of Roman Catholic Bishop Su Zhimin, whose followers reported that he was arrested in October 1997, remained unclear. Underground Catholic sources in Hebei claimed that he was still under detention, while the Government denied having taken "any coercive measures" against him.

To help Bishop Su, please write letters to Chinese government officials listed here using the text below as a model.  

Key Chinese officials

President:

His Excellency Jiang Zemin
President of the People's Republic of China
Beijing
China
Dear Mr. President:

Ambassador:

His Excellency Yang Jiechi
Ambassador of the People's Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008

Dear Mr. Ambassador:

Sample Letter

I write today as a friend of the Chinese people and as an American citizen wishing to express my deep concern about the case of Bishop Su Zhimin, the incarcerated Roman Catholic Bishop of Baoding, China.  As you may know, the American people are deeply concerned about violations of religious liberty around the world.  China's decision to become a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is commendable, and is an important step in deepening the understanding between our two countries and peoples.

Reliable accounts suggest that Bishop Su's primary crime is that of respecting the authority of the Vatican and functioning outside of the registered Catholic Patriotic Association.  On October 8, 1997, Bishop Su was re-arrested for his religious activities and he reportedly is being held incommunicado without trial at this time.

As you know, Article 36 of the Chinese Constitution guarantees freedom of religion.  However, to outside observers, it appears that the rights of minority religious believers in China seriously have been violated.

Mr. President, I respectfully request that you intervene on behalf of Bishop Su and allow him to return to his work of pastoring the many upstanding Chinese people in his congregation.  There would be a significant improvement of China's image in the eyes of the American people if the Chinese government released Bishop Su as soon as possible.

Thank you for your attention to pursuing the release of Bishop Su Zhimin.

Sincerely,

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