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BEIJING (AP) — For years, Rev. John Sanqiang Cao and fellow Chinese Christian teachers would cross the river on a bamboo raft into Myanmar, carrying with them notebooks, pencils and Bibles. During the ride on March 5, 2017, Cao saw Chinese security agents waiting on the shore. He threw his cellphone into the water, protecting the identities of Chinese teachers he had recruited.
But Cao himself could not escape. He was sentenced to seven years in prison for organizing illegal border crossings. His American sons and Christian colleagues spoke about the case for the first time to The Associated Press, arguing the pastor's sentence should be reduced in light of his humanitarian work.
Beijing is making an effort to "sinicize" religions and align faiths more closely with the atheist Communist Party's own doctrines.
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