Persecuted Church Leader from China Denied Refugee Status in Thailand by UN
by Staff
March 2, 2007
MIDLAND, Texas, (christiansunite.com) -- CAA learned that a severely persecuted house church leader from Xi'an, Shangxi province was denied protection by the United Nations High Commissioner Office in Thailand. Elder Lei Wensen and his family members were severely persecuted by the Chinese security for their leadership in the house church movement in China. CAA president Bob Fu received a letter for help from elder Lei Wensen on January 26, 2007. After a thorough investigation, CAA has verified elder Lei's claim that he and his family indeed had been persecuted for their independent Christian faith as House Church leaders in China. We believe elder Lei Wensen and his family members will face harsh persecution from the Chinese government if they are forced to return to China from Thailand. We have been able to communicate with Rev. Larry Pan of Los Angeles who was the applicant Mr. Lei Wensen's pastor in China.
In an open letter to UNHCR, Rev. Bob Fu asked the UN body to act quickly before elder Lei's situation gets worse. "We urge you to reconsider your previous decision and grant elder Lei and family members in Thailand refugee status so that they can be protected by UNHCR before they resettle in the USA."
China Aid Association, Inc. was established in Pennsylvania in 2002 and is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. In addition to collecting documents and materials related to Chinese law and government policy toward religion in China, CAA also issues news releases on cases of religious persecution in China and carries out other advocacy on behalf of persecuted religious believers in China, and provides humanitarian relief and supplies, including Christian materials, to persecuted members of underground Protestant churches in China. CAA supports the broad principle of freedom of religion for all believers in China, and aspires to conduct activities which protect the civil rights of believers from all religions.
Letters of concern can be sent to:
UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES
Branch office for Thailand
Telephone: 2801716/2811671/2829161
Fax: +66 2 280 0555
Email: thaba@unhcr.ch
P.O Box: 2.121, Rajamnam
Bangkok 10200, Thailand
