| Christians in China: Ark Church Members Distribute Free Food to Petitioners [message #226491] |
Mi, 19 Juli 2006 16:23 |
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Christians in China: Ark Church Members Distribute Free Food to Petitioners
Ark Church Members Distribute Free Food to Petitioners
By Feng Changle
Epoch Times China Staff
Jul 18, 2006
Volunteers hand out free food to impoverished petitioners. (The Epoch Times)
Members of the Beijing-based Ark (Fangzhou) Church visited the
"petitioners' village" near the Beijing South Railroad Station at about
4 p.m. on July 16 and offered approximately 330 pounds of free food.
Over 100 petitioners received assistance. They were encouraged by the
Ark's generosity and again called for the government to respect civil
rights and eliminate corruption.
The petitioners individually traveled to Beijing to appeal to the
central government when they felt that the local and provincial
government did not treat them fairly. Due to a lack of funds, they often
stay in an impoverished area near the Beijing South Railroad Station.
The area is now nicknamed "petitioners' village."
The "petitioners' village" is often harassed and raided by local police,
administrative staff, and thugs. In early 2006, the government said they
needed to acquire land for the Olympic Games and demolished all the
houses in the "petitioners' village." The homeless petitioners built
temporary sheds and tents at the same location. Many of them are hungry,
wear tattered clothes, and panhandle to survive. The poor sanitary
condition caused many to fall ill. Some have died in the streets due to
illnesses.
The petitioners were excited and grateful to receive the food, thanking
the Ark Church for their contribution. They also read out loud from a
piece of paper detailing the human and civil rights abuses they
experienced. They hoped one day the government would correct the wrongs.
Ark Church collected donations during its prayer meeting on June 26 to
rescue blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng, who was wrongfully
detained. Ark Church is a house church formed by a number of attorneys
and writers who advocate for civil rights, including Gao Zhisheng, Fan
Yafeng, Li Baiguang, Wang Guangze, Yu Jie, and Bei Cun.
On January 8, 2006, the police harassed the Ark Church and accused the
members of conducting "illegal activities." The police's action was met
with strong resistance from the members.
Qi Zhiyong and Jiao Guobiao from Ark Church. (The Epoch Times)
Petitioners gather to call for an end to corruption. (The Epoch Times)
A young petitioner holds a sign reading, "I want to go to school." (The
Epoch Times)
Secretary of State for Defence, Des Browne (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
Click here to read the original article in Chinese
Copyright 2000 - 2005 Epoch Times International
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