Source: Jubilee Campaign, October 2020
In 2013, the Committee on the Rights of the Child raised the alarm regarding the People’s Republic of China’s breach of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, article 14. The Committee recommended the government of China to “take all necessary measures” to “effectively guarantee the right of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion for those under 18” [as required by article 14], highlighting specifically the Uyghur and Tibetan children, as well as children of Falun Gong practitioners.
Since then, however, China has effectively extended its restriction on the right to religion or belief and freedom of expression to all youth under the age of 18. Following the implementation of the Regulations on Religious Affairs in 2018, provincial governments have banned minors from attending any religious-based activities, prohibited religious curriculum in schools, engaged in campaigns to discourage children from religious conviction, harassed families, and have even similarly cracked down on the cultural and linguistic expressions and practices of religious minorities throughout the nation.
These newly introduced restrictions blatantly disregard the Committee’s recommendations and the rights the mechanism seeks to protect, as well as demonstrate China’s lack of commitment to its obligations under international treaties to protect children’s rights.
» Read full report (33 pages) and a related article, Chinese Christian Children Persecuted for their Faith (Christian Post).