TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Christian non-profit China Aid Association (ChinaAid) announced on Friday (April 7) that it has brought members of the Mayflower Church, a persecuted organization in China, to the U.S.
According to ChinaAid, a group of 28 adults and 32 children left Shenzhen, China, in November 2019. They endured “repeated threats and interrogation” from the Chinese police before arriving in South Korea and, after exhausting the country’s immigration system, traveled to Bangkok, Thailand to seek refugee status.
In Thailand, church members were detained by Thai immigration authorities and faced the threat of being sent back to China. However, the U.S. government intervened and negotiated their release.
In the U.S., church members have been granted humanitarian parole status.
“It is the most joyful homecoming to welcome the Mayflower Church to Texas,” said Bob Fu (傅希秋), ChinaAid founder and president. “None of this would have been possible without the help of countless partners, members of Congress, and the U.S. government staff who worked countless hours in order to bring the Mayflower Church to safety.”
Fu further thanked a list of bipartisan U.S. Congress members, human rights and religious freedom organizations, as well as Taiwan Legislative Yuan Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) and Taiwan Association for China Human Rights Founder and Chair Yang Sen-hong (楊憲宏).
U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations Chair Chris Smith told church members in a statement, “After years of fleeing persecution suffered at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party, you men and women of great faith can finally enjoy religious freedom in America, along with your families.” He thanked ChinaAid and its partners for their efforts and “great work” in bringing about a victory.
In addition, Smith urged Thai officials to “be more vigilant” against Chinese activities within their country. Believing corruption at the local level led to the church members being detained, he asked the Thai government to “hold accountable” police officers or officials who collude with Chinese agents.
Meanwhile, Senator Ted Cruz, who also aided the process of helping church members, said in a statement: “Religious freedom is a bedrock principle of the United States, and the Mayflower Church congregation is now free to exercise their faith after years of religious persecution … I am especially grateful for ChinaAid and Freedom Seekers International, and for the people of Tyler, Texas who have welcomed the congregation into their homes. Because of their generosity and diligence, the Mayflower Church can now share in the freedoms that we enjoy every day in America.”