Christian woman bulldozed to death while trying to stop demolition of church
The deliberate killing of a Christian woman signals a new wave of persecution in China. Police have detained two members of a demolition crew after they allegedly bulldozed the wife of a Christian pastor who had attempted to halt the destruction of her church.
A government-backed company had sent a demolition crew to Beitou church in the city of Zhumadian in central China’s Hena province because a local developer wished to take the site. Christians of the parish said that the government departments in charge of the area were not present to oversee the demolition. One member of the crew allegedly said “Bury them alive for me…I will be responsible for their lives.”
Members of their congregation watched in horror as Ding Cumei and her husband Li Jiangong, the pastor of Beitou Church, were pushed into a ditch and buried alive by the bulldozer. Li was able to dig his way out, but his wife died buried under the rubble. When the murder was reported, Li said that police took an unusually long time to arrive.
“Bulldozing and burying alive Ding Cuimei, a peaceful and devout Christian woman, was a cruel, murderous act,” said Bob Fu, president of the NGO China Aid. “This case is a serious violation of the rights to life, religious freedom and rule of law. The Chinese authorities should immediately hold those murderers accountable and take concrete measures to protect the religious freedom of this house church’s members.”
ACN Malta
