New Book Exposes China's Brutal Crackdown on Religious Freedom Under Xi Jinping
A new book on religious freedom in China, co-authored with former Kansas Governor and Senator Sam Brownback, highlights ongoing oppression under Xi Jinping’s rule. Survivors from Tibet, Xinjiang, and underground Christian communities have shared harrowing accounts of torture, imprisonment, and loss at the hands of Chinese authorities.
Their testimonies reveal a pattern of mass atrocities targeting Uyghurs, Falun Gong practitioners, and Tibetan Buddhists, alongside crackdowns on unregistered churches.
Mihrigul Tursun, a Uyghur woman, described the murder of her newborn son and the torture she endured in internment camps. The trauma left her with permanent hearing loss in one ear. Her account is one of many documenting the systematic persecution of Uyghurs under Xi Jinping.
Arjia Rinpoche, a high-ranking Tibetan lama, recalled the arrests of monks from his monastery in 1958. Some disappeared without trace, a fate shared by countless others during China’s occupation of Tibet. The repression of Tibetan Buddhism remains severe decades later. Wang Chunyan, a 70-year-old Falun Gong practitioner, spent seven years in prison for printing and distributing fliers about her faith. Her case reflects the broader campaign against the group, which has faced forced labour, organ harvesting, and mass detentions. Pastor Pan Yongguang helped 63 members of his underground church escape to South Korea, Thailand, and eventually Midland, Texas. His actions underscore the risks faced by Christians who refuse to worship under state-controlled churches. Natan Sharansky, a former Soviet dissident, argued that the US must address oppression in China because 'you are part of this world and they are part of this world.' His wife, Avital, had made a similar case in 1978, insisting that public protest was essential to support Soviet dissidents. Their words echo today in calls for accountability for China’s abuses.
The book’s release comes amid growing documentation of China’s religious persecution. While the situation remains dire, there is cautious optimism that change remains possible. Previous human rights struggles have shown that pressure and awareness can lead to progress, even in the most resistant regimes.
