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FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9259
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 004237 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2032 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM CASC PREL KIRF OLY CH
SUBJECT: AMERICANS EXPELLED FROM XINJIANG FOR RELIGIOUS 
ACTIVITIES 
 
Classified By: Acting Political Minister Counselor Robert Griffiths. 
Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) A number of American citizens either resident in or 
visiting Xinjiang were expelled from China between February 
and June 2007, apparently because of their involvement in 
Christian religious activities.  Xinjiang security officials 
reportedly questioned these persons about their religious 
activities and accused them of violating related laws.  In 
the past, Xinjiang officials had normally chosen to "wait 
out" who it viewed as "undesirables" by refusing to renew 
their visas, rather than expel them.  One American in 
Xinjiang believes the expulsions are part of a larger effort 
to clamp down on foreign missionaries.  An Urumqi-based 
Chinese Christian Pastor, however, said she doubts the 
Chinese government has changed its policies on Christian 
religious activity, though she acknowledged that some 
officials in outlying areas are more reactionary.  End 
Summary. 
 
Americans Expelled Over Religious Activities 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Between February and June 2007, a number of American 
citizens in several areas of Xinjiang were expelled from 
China, apparently because of their involvement in religious 
activities. 
 
-- In mid-February, authorities in Korla told American 
businessman Jeremy Wideman that he had to leave China within 
a period of a few days.  They accused Wideman of conducting 
illegal religious services at his home in Korla.  Wideman 
told Emboff that he had held a Christmas party in his home, 
but denied having conducted any religious services there. 
 
-- On April 19, four Amcits were among a group of about 
thirty house church leaders who were arrested after holding a 
meeting in Aksu.  The four Amcits were questioned about their 
religious activities, accused of performing illegal 
missionary work and required to depart China by April 28. 
Authorities charged six of the meeting participants, all 
Chinese, with suspected involvement "in evil cult activities." 
 
-- On April 26, Religious Affairs Bureau (RAB) officials 
questioned long-time Kashgar resident Gregory Kopan.  Kopan, 
his wife and their two daughters were then ordered to depart 
China by May 21.  Kopan, who ran a cafe and travel agency in 
Kashgar, denied assertions by local officials that he was 
"carrying out Christianity in the name of business." 
However, he told Emboff on May 19 that he had distributed 
copies of the Bible as well as literature referring to 
Xinjiang as an independent state.  Kopan thought he may have 
been targeted for expulsion by a Han Chinese competitor with 
strong connections to local officials.  Two of Kopan's 
employees, a Swiss national who was expelled from China and a 
Canadian national whose application for visa renewal was 
denied, were also forced to leave the country. 
 
-- On May 29, Kashgar authorities accused Amcit Jeremy 
Thompson of proselytizing and ordered him to leave China by 
June 7.  Thompson signed a confession stating that he had 
passed an electronic copy of the New Testament to a Chinese 
citizen.  Authorities also required one of Thompson's 
associates, a Canadian citizen, to depart China. 
 
-- On June 3, Urumqi security officials questioned Amcit 
James D. Fanella about his religious activities after raiding 
a small home worship service in which he was participating. 
Fanella, a Seventh-day Adventist who has been visiting 
Xinjiang periodically since 2000, was required to exit China 
within 10 days.  Fanella told Emboff that "he got caught this 
time" because he and other worshippers had grown "careless" 
by, among other things, "singing hymns with their apartment 
windows wide open."  Fanella said he kept a low profile 
during previous trips. 
 
¶3. (C) This week Emboff learned of another case in which an 
American has been questioned in Xinjiang about his religious 
activities, though to date no action has been taken against 
him.  On June 21, RAB officials questioned Amcit Kurt Merwin, 
a long-time resident of Urumqi.  Merwin told Emboff that RAB 
officials tried to obtain a confession that he had hosted "a 
local person at a Christmas party" in December 2006.  RAB 
officials did not tell Merwin whether he will be expelled, 
but they said that Public Security Bureau officials will 
visit Merwin "soon" to "follow up" on his case. 
 
Theories Behind the Expulsions 
------------------------------ 
 
BEIJING 00004237  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶4. (C) American citizen Ray Anderson (strictly protect), a 
resident of Xinjiang for the past nine years and employer of 
expelled Amcit Jeremy Thompson, told Emboff that the recent 
spate of forced expulsions is part of a trend whereby 
Xinjiang authorities have placed increased pressure on 
"foreign Christians."  Anderson said that, in the past, local 
officials simply "waited out undesirables" by refusing to 
renew their visas.  In contrast, Urumqi-based Three-Self 
Patriotic Movement Pastor Fan Chenguang separately told 
Emboff that she has not heard of any expulsions or campaign 
against expat Christians and doubted that the government has 
made any significant changes to its policies concerning 
Christian religious activity.  In fact, Fan argued that 
Urumqi officials have grown "increasingly tolerant" of 
Christian religious activity in recent years.  Nevertheless, 
she conceded that the situation is "very different" in 
outlying areas where local officials possess "an old way of 
thinking" based on "primitive policies" like those seen "in 
the early days of Communist rule." 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶5. (C) The precise motivations behind the string of 
expulsions involving American Christians in Urumqi is 
unclear.  Separately, some members of the expat Christian 
community in Beijing, as well as overseas mission agencies, 
have reported hearing that expat Christians in other parts of 
China have been expelled, allegedly as part of an official 
effort to prevent public protests during the Beijing Olympics 
by taking preemptive action against house churches and 
Christian missionaries.  In these most recent expulsions in 
Xinjiang, however, no link was made to the Olympics by any of 
those involved, though all made clear that they were being 
forced to depart China because of their alleged religious 
activities. 
PICCUTA