In September, the Chinese Communist Party made a move to further subjugate and control religious institutions in China and the occupied regions of Tibet, East Turkestan and Southern Mongolia.
Its law on Administrative Measures for Religious Activity Venues, also known as Order No.19, issued by the State Administration of Religious Affairs, repeals older regulations from 2005 and deals a further blow to the fundamental principles of all religions by smearing them with the party’s ideology.
The new decree has 10 chapters and 76 articles — ranging from rules on the approval and registration of religious venues, to those on organizational management and legal liability. Article 1 states that the measures are formulated in accordance with the Chinese Constitution “to standardize the management of places of religious activity, protect normal religious activities, and safeguard the lawful rights and interests of places of religious activity and believing citizens.”