Authorities in China are secretly detaining Christians in mobile “transformation” facilities to coerce them into renouncing their faith, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA). Li Yuese, a member of a Christian “house church” in Sichuan province who requested anonymity, revealed that he was held for 10 months in a facility operated by the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department, in coordination with state security police, following a 2018 raid on his church.
“It was a mobile facility, that could just set up in some basement somewhere,” Li said. “It was staffed by people from several different government departments.”
“It had its own (CCP) political and legal affairs committee working group, and they mainly target Christians who are members of house churches,” he said.
The Chinese Communist Party, which upholds atheism, tightly regulates religious practices among its citizens. State security police and officials from the religious affairs bureau regularly raid unofficial “house churches” not affiliated with the CCP-supported Three-Self Patriotic Association, though even affiliated churches have been targeted at times. Under Xi Jinping, the CCP views Christianity as a perilous foreign influence, with party documents cautioning against the “infiltration of Western hostile forces” through religion. Li Yuese reported being held in a windowless room for nearly 10 months, during which he endured beatings, verbal abuse, and “mental torture” from staff, eventually resorting to self-harm by throwing himself against a wall.
“They threaten, insult and intimidate you. These were United Front officials, men, women, sometimes unidentified, usually in plain clothes. The police turn a blind eye to this,” he said.
“You have to accept the statement they prepare for you,” he said. “If you refuse, you will be seen as having a bad attitude and they will keep you in detention and keep on beating you.”
Li reported that most of his fellow detainees were individuals who had been released on bail during criminal detention for participating in church activities. Since they hadn’t committed offenses that warranted criminal prosecution, police sent them to “transformation” facilities instead. “They were using brainwashing techniques on those of us who were out on bail from the detention center,” Li explained. “It was located in a secret basement.” Inmates who refused to “admit their mistakes” were subjected to extended periods of solitary confinement.
“There is no time limit for the brainwashing process,” he said. “I don’t know the longest time anyone has been held there, but I was detained for eight or nine months.”
“You can’t see the sun, so you lose all no concept of time.”
He mentioned that suicidal thoughts and self-harm were common occurrences.
“I couldn’t sleep; after you’ve been in there a week, death starts to look better than staying there,” Li said. “I bashed myself against the wall to self-harm.”
“One time in there, I was groggy and was trying to open my eyes but I couldn’t,” he said. “Four or five of them grabbed me by the arms and legs and pinned me to the ground.”
“They they injected me with some drug, and brought me back to consciousness.”