Interviews with Xiqiu "Bob" Fu

Well, unfortunately, the way of operations for the United Nations, or other international organizations and the UN, is more collaboration and cooperation with the government side than the non-government side. And especially in China. I mean there is no real NGO was allowed to exist, as we all know.

And those organizations, especially like the UN, I think, by working with the Chinese government they have their own really blind spots. You talk about the family planning. I mean every day according to realistic estimates 25,000 forced abortions happen every day in China.

And part of the funding from the UN, and actually part of the U.S. taxpayers’ money, are still being used to support this forced abortion and forced sterilization policy. And we have clear evidence, and well documented, every day is happening. I have my own family members had experienced this horrible, horrible forced abortion and forced sterilization.

And the other mechanism for human rights unfortunately were prevented or discouraged from entering into China to have a full picture, like the [UN] Working Group on Arbitrary Detention or Special Rapporteur on Torture, Special Rapporteur on Religious Freedom. And many of those UN officials were not even allowed to go to China.

And I remember years ago when the Special Rapporteur on Torture was allowed to visit China, his staff was almost designed by government security agencies with a car accident for simply arranging a meeting with the most prominent Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who has been missing for over two years now.

So they are prevented from knowing the reality, I mean the true picture, of China. I think that’s the sad reality. That’s why I think we should – the UN should – collaborate more with the non-government sector, with those who know things on the ground, and the NGOs overseas, to have the full picture in their mind.

Bob Fu was a leader in the student democracy movement at Tiananmen Square in 1989. He later converted to Christianity and became a house church pastor and a founder, along with his wife Heidi, of a Bible school. In 1996, he was arrested and jailed for running a secret bible school. After his release, he and his wife escaped to Hong Kong. They were admitted to the United States as refugees a few days before the handover of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China in 1997.

Fu founded the China Aid Association (CAA) in 2002. CAA monitors and reports on religious freedom in China, particularly focusing on the fate of believers who belong to banned or unofficial house churches, which encompass 60 to 80 million followers. CAA issues frequent news releases on cases of religious persecution involving Protestant house church congregations and assists victims to assert their right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religious practice in China.

CAA also provides a forum for discussion and information exchange among experts on religion, law, and human rights in China through its bilingual journal, the China Law & Religion Monitor, and a bilingual website. Its headquarters are in Midland, Texas, where Fu now lives and works.