New law leaves Chinese Catholics vulnerable

REVISIONS to China’s Criminal Procedure Law have exposed Catholic clergy to further restrictions on the underground Church, according to a layman in Hong Kong.

Patrick Poon, a member of the diocese’s Justice and Peace Commission, said the final text of the law, published by the China’s official Xinhua News Agency on March 17, left a “blind spot” that could be used by authorities to continue detaining priests and others without charge.

The revised law included changes to the wording of the controversial Article 73 relating to secret detentions.

Article 73 had spurred wide condemnation in and outside China for what critics said would effectively legalize secret detentions.

In its original form, Article 73 allowed for the detention of anyone suspected of endangering state security and engaging in terrorism under house surveillance for up to six months without any legal obligation to inform family members.

Report from ucanews.com