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The Policy of Freedom of Religious Belief
The Constitution of China specifies: Citizens of the PRC enjoy freedom of
religious belief. No state organ, public organization or individual may compel
citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may anyone
discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any
religion.
The Criminal Law of China, the General Principles of the Civil Law, the
National Minority Regional Autonomy Law, the Education Law, the Labor Law, the
Electoral Law of the People.s Congresses, and the Organic Law Governing
Villagers. Committees include corresponding articles stipulating that citizens.
freedom of religious belief should be protected, and that citizens who believe
in, or do not believe in, any religion should not be discriminated against.
The policy of freedom of religious belief adopted by the Chinese government
has the following basic contents:
.Respecting and protecting freedom of religious belief. In China, every
citizen enjoys the freedom to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion.
Within a religion, every Chinese citizen has the freedom to believe in any
denomination or division. Each citizen has the freedom to adopt or reject a
religious belief. This means that believing in or not believing in religion is a
citizen.s personal affair, and no state organ, public organization or individual
may put pressure on any citizen in this regard. All citizens are completely
equal, are entitled to equal rights and at the same time must perform the duties
prescribed by law, whether or not they are religious believers.
.Protecting normal religious activities. All normal religious activities held
at special sites for religious activities or in believers. homes according to
religious custom shall be managed by religious organizations and believers, and
shall be protected by the law. No one shall interfere with them. The Regulations
on the Management of Sites for Religious Activities promulgated by the Chinese
government specify: The site for religious activities shall be managed by the
administration organization of the site autonomously. Its lawful rights and
interests and normal religious activities held at the site shall be protected by
the law. Whoever infringes upon the lawful rights and interests of a site for
religious activities shall bear legal responsibility.
.All religions are equal. In China, no religion occupies a privileged
position. The Chinese government treats all religions equally, without
discrimination. All religions shall respect each other and co-exist in harmony.
In China, religion is separated from political power and from education too.
State power shall not use religion in its own service; and religion shall not
interfere with the state.s administration, judicature and education.
.All religions adopt the principle of independence and self-management. Chinese
religions shall be run solely by the religious organizations, clergy and
believers themselves. Chinese religious affairs and organizations shall not be
controlled by foreign forces. Chinese religious organizations are willing to
conduct friendly exchanges with their counterparts in other countries to
strengthen mutual understanding and friendship. But such exchanges must be based
on complete equality and mutual respect.
The Protection of Ethnic Minorities' Freedom of Religious
Belief
The Chinese government has spared no effort to promote economic, cultural and
educational progress in the areas inhabited by minority people, and to improve
the material, cultural and living standards of the broad masses of the minority
people while attaching great importance to respecting their religious beliefs
and customs, and protecting their cultural legacy.
Most Tibetans believe in Tibetan Buddhism. Now Tibet has more than 1,700
places for Buddhist activities, with more than 46,000 lamas resident in
monasteries. Almost every Buddhist dwelling has a small scripture hall or
prayer niche. Every year, the number of Buddhists going to Lhasa to worship
totals more than one million. Since the 1980s, the Central Government has
allocated more than 200 million RMB yuan to Tibet for the renovation of the
Potala Palace, the Tashilhunpo Monastery, the Jokhang Temple, the Samye
Monastery, and other places of worship. In addition, special funds were
allocated for the publication of the Tibetan editions of The Tripitaka (The
Buddhist Canon) and other classics, and the China Advanced Institute of Tibetan
Buddhism was founded in Beijing, and the Institute of Tibetan Buddhism, in
Lhasa. In 1995, in accordance with the religious rituals and historical
conventions of Tibetan Buddhism, including lot-drawing from a golden urn, the
reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Erdeni was discovered. Thus, China completed
the identification, confirmation and enthronement of the 11th Panchen Erdeni.
In Xinjiang and Ningxia, the government provides various
services to Moslems for pilgrimages. Since the 1980s, more than 40,000 Chinese
Muslims have gone to Mecca. Now Xinjiang has more than 23,000 mosques, and
29,000 clergy to meet the religious needs of Muslims. The Islamic Association of
Xinjiang has founded the Institute of Islamic Theology, and published the Koran
in the Uygur language. The Chinese government respects the dietetic customs and
burial rites of the minority peoples who believe in Islam, and has worked out
laws and regulations on producing Muslim food and opened Muslim cemeteries.
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