A pastor in China’s Xinjiang, known as “Pastor A” for anonymity, leads a small house church and is under pressure from Communist officials. The church is facing closure due to alleged violations related to religious activities and new administrative requirements. The pastor’s son was arrested and questioned about the church, leading to concerns about potential restrictions.
Communist officials have demanded the church to pay a “compliance deposit” and provide documentation of its activities. Failure to comply could result in the permanent closure of the congregation. Over 50 Uyghur civil society organizations recently criticized China’s Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress, urging international action to repeal the legislation.
The law, effective from July 1, 2026, is viewed as a tool for forced assimilation, requiring ethnic groups to abandon their identities in favor of loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party. It emphasizes Mandarin as the primary language, displacing other ethnic languages, and mandates the “sinicisation” of religion. The law also promotes loyalty to the CCP over cultural, religious, or linguistic affiliations.
Civil society organizations raised concerns about provisions in the law that could hold individuals and organizations outside mainland China accountable for undermining ethnic unity and progress. They called on UN human rights experts to monitor and report on the law’s implementation and press Beijing for its repeal.
