As a communist regime, ‘the political ideology of the CCP has traditionally been hostile to religion, but its policy since the late 1970s has been to tolerate religious belief and expression among non-Party members so long as it does not threaten the CCP’s monopoly of authority or the functions of the state.’

International bodies such as the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention have found that the Chinese constitution ‘prohibits religious activities that impair public order, health, or education and proscribes “foreign domination” of religious bodies and religious affairs.’

Thus, ‘the freedom to express one’s religion through activities is not guaranteed by the constitution.’

While China has international legal obligations that should protect the religious freedom of its citizens, ‘China’s policies and practices are in direct violation of these norms.’ Foremost and primordial of these internationally agreed legal obligations is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), an international instrument [of and in] all U.N. member states that is a ‘customary international law that guarantees persons the right to manifest their religion “either alone or in community with others and in public or private, the right to be free from discrimination based upon religion, and the right to be free from unnecessary and arbitrary government regulation in exercising religious beliefs.’

China became a member of the United Nations on 24 October, 1945.

It is clear that China’s pressure and assault on Tibetan Buddhists and Muslim Uighurs are a manifestation of violating international legal obligations. But even if anybody reminds China of its signed cooperation and agreement, would it actually heed any advice? After all, the political ideology of the CCP and religion do not and will never mix.

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Via Human Rights Watch