BITTER WINTER

Testimonies China

South Korean Pastor Prohibited From Visiting China

South Korean Pastor Prohibited From Visiting China

A pastor deported years ago was forced to sign a statement saying he wouldn’t return to China for eight years. In 2016, police officials had conducted a raid at a house church in Jilin’s Meihe city. A South Korean pastor, Kim Ju-hwan, and his wife led the church. At...

Authorities Pursue Family Church in Urumqi City

Authorities Pursue Family Church in Urumqi City

A church’s administration in Xinjiang was systematically harassed by the authorities over the years. In July 2016, a family church in Xinjiang’s Urumqi city organized an overseas mission for five church personnel. However, the applications of Pastor Wen Jing and Wang...

Over 100 Officers Storm a South Korean Christian Church

Over 100 Officers Storm a South Korean Christian Church

A South Korean-sponsored Christian house church in Heilongjiang's Hegang city was closed down after a raid by the police. On June 17, 2018, more than 100 police officers broke through three gates guarded by believers to raid the meeting place of a South Korean house...

Volatile Times Ahead for Muslims in Xinjiang

Volatile Times Ahead for Muslims in Xinjiang

People are increasingly terrified of the authorities as arrests of Chinese Muslims become more frequent and random. Bitter Winter has received reports from all over Xinjiang that detail the various reasons for which people got picked up by the police for their...

Han Chinese Shop Owners Living in Fear

Han Chinese Shop Owners Living in Fear

The “ten household joint defense” policy is rapidly spreading across Xinjiang and terrifying both the minorities and Han Chinese people. Recently, Bitter Winter reported about the “ten household joint defense,” which has been instituted in several regions of Xinjiang....

Shanxi Woman Commits Suicide to Escape Surveillance

Shanxi Woman Commits Suicide to Escape Surveillance

A woman of Christian faith was driven to suicide due to harassment faced by constant surveillance by authorities. In December 2013, the Chinese Communist Party officially declared that it was ending its “re-education through labor” system. However, ever since then,...

Chinese Police Fires Warning Shots at a Religious Gathering

Chinese Police Fires Warning Shots at a Religious Gathering

In an incident from Anhui, the police disrupted a house church gathering by firing warning shots. In November 2014, a gathering was underway at a house church in Anhui’s Hefei city when police officials stormed inside. To intimidate those present, the police...

CCP Deceives Believers and Demolishes an Old Church

CCP Deceives Believers and Demolishes an Old Church

Local authorities in Anhui’s Dangshan county stop the protests against the demolition of a 100-year -old church by promising the congregation to build a new place of worship and compensate them financially. The promise has never been kept. 

Member of the Shouters Arrested and Sentenced by CCP

Member of the Shouters Arrested and Sentenced by CCP

A member of the Shouters’ movement from Henan Province who had been in exile for more than 20 years was captured by the Chinese authorities and later received a lengthy prison sentence. He Jie (pseudonym) from Yongcheng city, Henan Province, had been on the run after...