Religious Rights Defense Movement · Full chronicle and history

One year has passed since the Beijing Zion Church "October 9" church case; eight pastors and church workers, accused of fraud and illegal business operation, are detained in Beihai, Guangxi, and the case has been transferred to the court awaiting trial.

On the morning of September 29, the Taiyuan Municipal Public Security Bureau took Xuncheng Reformed Church preacher An Yankui from his home. His wife Yao Congya received a phone call from the police and was told that he had been placed under administrative detention for 15 days for "illegally organizing religious activities."

On September 14, families of multiple victims in Lishui, Zhejiang, held portraits of the deceased and went to the headquarters of Lishui Public Transport Group Co., Ltd. to conduct rights defense. The family members stated that their father was killed after being struck by a bus while performing road work. Nearly three months after the incident, the bus company has yet to provide a clear response, prompting the family to visit the company to demand accountability.

On September 12, Liu Anjun went to the Beijing Guangnei Police Station and other departments to demand clarification on Sun Meihua's suspected abandonment, trafficking, and purchase of persons, and was told that the case was still ongoing and that information was kept confidential from non-direct family members.

On September 4, 2026, officials in Houyang Village, Hetang Town, Gutian County, Ningde, Fujian, forcefully demolished a large outdoor Guanyin stone statue. The demolition was blocked on the spot by several villagers. Relevant authorities deployed riot-control security personnel to maintain order, and a standoff and clash ensued.

Following his release, Pastor Kim Mingri stated that although China's policies support major religions, the rights of faith communities are not fully guaranteed in actual practice. He called on the international community to pay attention and urge Beijing to release those detained for their religious beliefs.

Liu Xiang posted on Weibo asking netizens for help, saying the Shanghai Sports Bureau required him to choose between a "buyout of his years of service" and "becoming a coach," and questioning why the placement issue had been delayed for ten years. The Shanghai Sports Bureau responded that it would arrange proper placement.

Affected villagers posted stating that the flood was a man-made accident, and all residents of Liulan Village refused to sign, demanding an explanation from higher authorities.

On July 27, 2026, Beijing Zion Church pastor Kim Myeong-il, after arriving in the United States, gave an exclusive interview, disclosing that the authorities handling the case had characterized the believers' voluntary offerings, support for pastors, and theological training as fraud and illegal business operations involving over 10 million yuan.

The 8 detainees in the Xi'an church case were swiftly handed over to the court; their lawyers received no notice and were not heard.

From mid-July 2026, the Larung Gar Buddhist Institute in Seda, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, has once again been hit by large-scale forced demolitions. The authorities plan to tear down about 2,000 monastic residences and forcibly send away non-local monks and nuns, while the military and police maintain a tight blockade and surveillance.

Kim Myeong-il said that after being taken out of the detention center he was transported by high-speed rail and police car to Guangzhou International Airport, where prosecutors announced they would not prosecute him, and then his passport was returned and he was put on a flight to the United States.

On July 2, 2026, a bamboo raft in the waters off Houjiang, Nan'ao County, Shantou, Guangdong was capsized after being struck by an iron vessel, killing one person, and the vessel responsible fled the scene. Recently, the family took to the internet to report that no case had been filed long after the incident and that dock surveillance footage had been overwritten, publicly seeking help to defend their rights.

Kim Myeong-il arrived in the United States accompanied by the U.S. Consulate and learned that 8 of his coworkers are still in prison in his case, while another 9 have been released on bail.

On July 1, 2026, Chinese Human Rights Defenders released a report disclosing that authorities in Beihai, Guangxi seriously infringed on the right to defense in the prosecution of the Beijing Zion Church case, obstructed lawyers' access to case files, and that pastoral staff such as Wang Lin and Wu Qiuyu face prolonged detention and harsh detention conditions.

Pastor Wang Lin and seven others were formally indicted after undergoing rigorous interrogation in the detention center.

On June 12, 2026, the Gaizhou City Public Security Bureau in Liaoning formally returned 2,859.2 grams of gold products seized nearly 30 years ago to Dalian man Pan Yongjia and reached a settlement, with the party withdrawing his state compensation application.

On June 8, 2026, in Qitaihe, Heilongjiang, a candidate ranked first in a public institution exam but was illegally replaced. After the person involved continued to defend her rights and appeal, local officials directly issued an announcement canceling the entire recruitment position in question.

Kim Myeong-il stated that his case was transferred from the case-handling unit to the procuratorate on May 25, and the case files and other materials have entered the procuratorate's processing stage.

After returning to her hometown in Guizhou, Xiao Wei (online name "Xiao Wei is not Xiao Wei"), a mainland spouse deported from Taiwan, has been actively defending the rights of local residents, live-streaming to denounce local government extravagance, and publicly challenging the local village committee to a debate in her live-stream.

In October 2025, police intervened during the Sunday worship service of the Xuncheng Reformed Church in Taiyuan, and 11 people, including An Yankui, were placed under 15 days of administrative detention.

The Light of Xi'an Church in Xi'an, Shaanxi, has been subjected to government suppression, with three people, including Pastor Gao Quanfu, arrested and held in custody.

In 2023, after attending a church youth camp, An Yankui was first given 15 days of administrative detention, and on the day that term expired he was given another 15 days of judicial detention over the enforcement of a fine.

Kim Myeong-il said that in 2018 the government imposed similar administrative restrictions on his house, affecting his work and buying and selling, and putting him in debt.

Kim Myeong-il said that after the Beijing church was cracked down on in 2018, the VOA Chinese website invited him to talk by telephone about his own situation and that of the Xi'an Church.

After the Yang Jia case occurred, artist Ai Weiwei published a series of posts on his blog, pressing questions about the details of Yang Jia's case, the circumstances of his mother being committed to a psychiatric hospital, and the violations of procedure during the trial; his blog at one point became a gathering point for online public opinion. After that, he spoke out for Yang Jia multiple times.

Ms. Ma Yongtian won a lawsuit regarding her factory being robbed in 2002 and obtained a court judgment.