China: Whether a person detained at an underground church meeting would have his or her name placed in the Public Security Bureau (PSB) databases
1. Underground Church Detainees and PSB Databases
In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the founder and President of China Aid, an international Christian human rights organization which seeks to "expose religious freedom and human rights abuse in China" (China Aid n.d.), stated that individuals detained at underground church meetings would have their names placed in PSB databases (ibid. 26 Aug. 2015). The source indicated that "usually the first thing the officers from the PSB or [Religious Affairs Bureau (RAB)] would do when they raid a house church is to collect ID numbers, ID names, and personal data such as date of birth and home and work … addresses" from practitioners in attendance (ibid.). The source further explained that individuals' information is then stored and classified under one of five "security and political threat" levels within a national "'dynamic stability control maintenance database'," which is accessible by all officers within China's "security apparatus" (ibid.).
In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an official at the Embassy of Canada in Beijing similarly stated that "it is most likely that PSB would keep a record of people who are detained, including at an underground Church meeting" (Canada 10 Sept. 2015). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an associate professor of criminology at Xavier University in Ohio, whose research focuses on policing, and criminal law and procedure in China, stated that while he cannot comment specifically on underground church detainees, PSB investigations - including detention and arrest procedures - require "meticulous documentation of offenders," further noting that the PSB "specifically requires documentation, reporting, and monitoring of potential offenders" (Associate Professor 8 Sept. 2015).
For more information on the treatment of Christian house church members by the PSB, see Response to Information Request CHN104966. For information on the PSB's Golden Shield and Policenet databases, see Response to Information Request CHN104762.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Associate Professor of criminal justice, Xavier University. 8 September 2015. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.
Canada. 10 September 2015. Embassy of Canada in Beijing. Correspondence from an official to the Research Directorate.
China Aid. 26 August 2015. Correspondence from the President to the Research Directorate.
China Aid. N.d. "The Mission." [Accessed 5 Sept. 2015]
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group; Human Rights in China; Laogai Research Foundation.
Internet sites, including: Agence France-Presse; Al Jazeera; Amnesty International; Bertelsmann Stiftung; British Broadcasting Corporation; Brookings Institution; China – Embassy to Canada, Public Security Bureau; China Daily; Deutsche Welle; ecoi.net; Factiva; Freedom House; The Globe and Mail; Human Rights Watch; Interpol; The New York Times; Radio Free Asia; Reuters; United Nations – Refworld; United States – Department of State; United States Institute of Peace; The Washington Post; Xinhua News Agency; Yale University – China Law Center.