RT Article
T1 Would the Real Article 300 Please Stand Up? Refugees from Religious Movements Persecuted as Xie Jiao in China: The Case of The Church of Almighty God
JF The journal of CESNUR
VO 3
IS 5
SP 3
OP 86
A1 Introvigne, Massimo 1955-
A1 Richardson, James T. 1943-
A1 Šorytė, Rosita 1965-
A2 Richardson, James T. 1943-
A2 Šorytė, Rosita 1965-
LA English
YR 2019
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1724766821
AB In order to be granted asylum in the democratic countries where they escape from China, refugees of The Church of Almighty God should prove that they have a “well-founded fear” that, should they   return   to   China,  they   would   be   persecuted.  In   some   countries,  the   debate   focuses  on   the interpretation of article 300 of the Chinese Criminal Law, which imposes jail penalties on those active in  groups  persecuted  as xie  jiao  (“heterodox  teachings,”  sometimes  translated  as  “cults”).  Chinese embassies often inform authorities abroad that article 300 is only enforced against members of xie jiaowho commit serious crimes. However, a study of the official interpretive documents and of 200 cases of members  of  The  Church  of  Almighty  God  sentenced  in  China  supports  the  conclusion  that  normal religious  activities,  such  as  attending  worship  services,  trying  to  convert  friends  and  relatives,  or distributing  religious  literature  are  among  the  “crimes”  punished  under  article  300  with  severe  jail penalties.
K1 Article 300 of the Chinese Criminal Law
K1 Chinese Refugees
K1 New Religious Movements in China
K1 Religion-Based Refugee Claims
K1 The Church of Almighty God
K1 Xie Jiao
DO 10.26338/tjoc.2019.3.5.1