AMERICANS EXPELLED FROM XINJIANG FOR RELIGIOUS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 004237

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2032
TAGS: PGOV PHUM CASC PREL KIRF OLY CH
SUBJECT: AMERICANS EXPELLED FROM XINJIANG FOR RELIGIOUS
ACTIVITIES

Classified By: Acting Political Minister Counselor Robert Griffiths.
Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

Summary
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1. (C) A number of American citizens either resident in or
visiting Xinjiang were expelled from China between February
and June 2007, apparently because of their involvement in
Christian religious activities. Xinjiang security officials
reportedly questioned these persons about their religious
activities and accused them of violating related laws. In
the past, Xinjiang officials had normally chosen to "wait
out" who it viewed as "undesirables" by refusing to renew
their visas, rather than expel them. One American in
Xinjiang believes the expulsions are part of a larger effort
to clamp down on foreign missionaries. An Urumqi-based
Chinese Christian Pastor, however, said she doubts the
Chinese government has changed its policies on Christian
religious activity, though she acknowledged that some
officials in outlying areas are more reactionary. End
Summary.

Americans Expelled Over Religious Activities
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2. (C) Between February and June 2007, a number of American
citizens in several areas of Xinjiang were expelled from
China, apparently because of their involvement in religious
activities.

-- In mid-February, authorities in Korla told American
businessman Jeremy Wideman that he had to leave China within
a period of a few days. They accused Wideman of conducting
illegal religious services at his home in Korla. Wideman
told Emboff that he had held a Christmas party in his home,
but denied having conducted any religious services there.

-- On April 19, four Amcits were among a group of about
thirty house church leaders who were arrested after holding a
meeting in Aksu. The four Amcits were questioned about their
religious activities, accused of performing illegal
missionary work and required to depart China by April 28.
Authorities charged six of the meeting participants, all
Chinese, with suspected involvement "in evil cult activities."

-- On April 26, Religious Affairs Bureau (RAB) officials
questioned long-time Kashgar resident Gregory Kopan. Kopan,
his wife and their two daughters were then ordered to depart
China by May 21. Kopan, who ran a cafe and travel agency in
Kashgar, denied assertions by local officials that he was
"carrying out Christianity in the name of business."
However, he told Emboff on May 19 that he had distributed
copies of the Bible as well as literature referring to
Xinjiang as an independent state. Kopan thought he may have
been targeted for expulsion by a Han Chinese competitor with
strong connections to local officials. Two of Kopan's
employees, a Swiss national who was expelled from China and a
Canadian national whose application for visa renewal was
denied, were also forced to leave the country.

-- On May 29, Kashgar authorities accused Amcit Jeremy
Thompson of proselytizing and ordered him to leave China by
June 7. Thompson signed a confession stating that he had
passed an electronic copy of the New Testament to a Chinese
citizen. Authorities also required one of Thompson's
associates, a Canadian citizen, to depart China.

-- On June 3, Urumqi security officials questioned Amcit
James D. Fanella about his religious activities after raiding
a small home worship service in which he was participating.
Fanella, a Seventh-day Adventist who has been visiting
Xinjiang periodically since 2000, was required to exit China
within 10 days. Fanella told Emboff that "he got caught this
time" because he and other worshippers had grown "careless"
by, among other things, "singing hymns with their apartment
windows wide open." Fanella said he kept a low profile
during previous trips.


3. (C) This week Emboff learned of another case in which an
American has been questioned in Xinjiang about his religious
activities, though to date no action has been taken against
him. On June 21, RAB officials questioned Amcit Kurt Merwin,
a long-time resident of Urumqi. Merwin told Emboff that RAB
officials tried to obtain a confession that he had hosted "a
local person at a Christmas party" in December 2006. RAB
officials did not tell Merwin whether he will be expelled,
but they said that Public Security Bureau officials will
visit Merwin "soon" to "follow up" on his case.

Theories Behind the Expulsions
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4. (C) American citizen Ray Anderson (strictly protect),a
resident of Xinjiang for the past nine years and employer of
expelled Amcit Jeremy Thompson, told Emboff that the recent
spate of forced expulsions is part of a trend whereby
Xinjiang authorities have placed increased pressure on
"foreign Christians." Anderson said that, in the past, local
officials simply "waited out undesirables" by refusing to
renew their visas. In contrast, Urumqi-based Three-Self
Patriotic Movement Pastor Fan Chenguang separately told
Emboff that she has not heard of any expulsions or campaign
against expat Christians and doubted that the government has
made any significant changes to its policies concerning
Christian religious activity. In fact, Fan argued that
Urumqi officials have grown "increasingly tolerant" of
Christian religious activity in recent years. Nevertheless,
she conceded that the situation is "very different" in
outlying areas where local officials possess "an old way of
thinking" based on "primitive policies" like those seen "in
the early days of Communist rule."

Comment
--------------


5. (C) The precise motivations behind the string of
expulsions involving American Christians in Urumqi is
unclear. Separately, some members of the expat Christian
community in Beijing, as well as overseas mission agencies,
have reported hearing that expat Christians in other parts of
China have been expelled, allegedly as part of an official
effort to prevent public protests during the Beijing Olympics
by taking preemptive action against house churches and
Christian missionaries. In these most recent expulsions in
Xinjiang, however, no link was made to the Olympics by any of
those involved, though all made clear that they were being
forced to depart China because of their alleged religious
activities.
PICCUTA