that have both official and legal characteristics which are incontrovertible and which will not allow China to hide the truth.

Naturally people will start to look for different ways to implement their Godgiven rights to live as they believe, to carry out practices of faith and religion when oppression becomes unbearable, be it under arbitrary laws or martial law. However, according to the strange Chinese laws and regulations, these secret alternative methods are also being monitored and have been banned.14 Such actions are deemed “state secrets” and are never disclosed to public. Two of these regulations are decisions signed by the prime minister, Lee Peng, in January 31, 1994 banning religious activities. Below we will try to summarize these:

Decree no 145

This orders that all secret places of worship, which in recent years have begun to spread throughout China, be banned, and all religious activities be monitored.

Decree no 144

Foreigners are not permitted to open places of worship, religious organization or associations. They are not allowed to lead religious activities, open cultural centers or religious schools. Also foreigners are not permitted to talk with local religious functionaries, to appoint them or to act as guides in their activities.15

At a later date, on 28.03.1996, the Chinese authorities issued a secret decree, known as Document No. 7. According to this decree, war against religion was declared and the punishments required were increased by tenfold. This law was actually in force by 12.03.1996. This is known as the Yan Da campaign. The most apparent application of this campaign, according to what has been reported by Turkistan and foreign sources,16 was aimed at Muslims, women and young people working in Chinese national institutions. They were forbidden to fast, to go to mosques or to attend Islamic education. The most famous reaction to this restriction was during the usufruct in city of Gulce on the 27th night of Ramadan month, in the year 1417 of the hegira (1997). When the gendarme, intelligence and police forces guarded the doors of mosques, preventing women and young people who had came for the tarawih and night prayer, clashes occurred between Muslims and these forces; a violent riot ensued. The incident ended with intervention of the Chinese army. As a result, 300 Muslim lost their lives and 10 thousand Muslim was arrested. Later, according to the Communist Party general secretary, Wang Lequan, who made a statement in the official gazette, dated 11.7.1997, this campaign has continued: “The Chinese authorities arrested 17,000 people, sending them to the People’s Liberation Army construction and work camps.” The same gazette reports this in its 21.6.1997 issue: