10/23/2021 China (International Christian Concern) – An ethnic Lisu Christian in China’s Yunnan province has been removed from his post at church by the government, for he has been protesting the forced demolition of his home.
China Aid reports that the authorities forcibly demolished Kai Yiduo’s house last year without providing any compensation. In response, Kai demanded to be compensated, yet the local government, the Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement Church, and the Christian Council removed him from his teaching position at the nine churches in Jiake village this month. He is also banned from participating in the state-vetted Three-Self churches, where he has served since 1996.
Last year, the local government encouraged the villagers to try out poverty alleviation housing (provided by the government) for a year with the promise that existing houses in the village would not be demolished. If the villagers could not get used to the government-funded housing, they could move back.
However, Kai said that the government forcibly demolished people’s houses in the homestead. They coerced villagers to obtain keys to poverty alleviation housing and prohibited them from returning the keys. Two of Brother Kai’s properties were torn down in the homestead. He also has his tools to build his new house confiscated by the government.
He said, “They said compensation was for those who voluntarily have their houses demolished. There is no compensation for those the government forcibly demolished!” Finding it unreasonable, he reported his grievance to upper-level leaders but has been ignored.
Lisu is an ethnic minority in China that has over 80% of the population practicing Christianity.
