U.S. pastor subjected to China’s unfair trials

U.S.-resident Pastor John Cao stood trial in China on Feb. 9, 2018. (Photo: ChinaAid)

ChinaAid

(Pu’er, Yunnan—Feb. 9, 2018) The trial of a North Carolina pastor and his co-worker commenced today in China’s southwestern Yunnan province.

Throughout the proceedings, which lasted from 9:00-11:30 a.m., Lawyer Liu Peifu defended Pastor John Cao by telling the court that he often crossed the border between Myanmar and China to help poor minority children in Myanmar’s Wa State receive an education. Liu added that because of Cao’s efforts, the minority community is thankful towards the Chinese people.

Cao is well-renowned in that area of Myanmar for establishing 16 schools, providing educational resources to more than 2,000 children. Since the border between Myanmar and China has little regulation, he used to pass through with no incident.

However, the prosecution accused Cao of “organizing an illegal border crossing” and pinned an “illegal border crossing” charge to his colleague, Jing Ruxia, who was brought into custody with him on March 5 as they were attempting to enter China from Myanmar.

Shortly after, Cao’s relatives received a detention notice from the Menglian County Public Security Bureau, and his arrest warrant was formally approved by the procuratorate 20 days later. On July 13, his mother, identified only by her surname, Sun, said that the case had been transferred to the procuratorate for prosecution.