FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
February 20, 2020

USCIRF Releases New Factsheet on China’s Regulation of Religious Groups

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new factsheet on China’s regulation of religious groups:

China Factsheet - On February 1, 2020, the Chinese government’s Administrative Measures for Religious Groups went into effect. This regulation requires religious groups to obtain government permission for nearly every aspect of their operations. In addition, they must accept and teach the principles of the Chinese Communist Party. This factsheet provides a brief overview of the new regulation and explains why it marks a significant escalation in the Chinese government’s ongoing crackdown on religious freedom.

In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate China as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) due to its systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or call (202) 523-3240.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
February 19, 2020

USCIRF Releases New Factsheet on India’s Citizenship (Amendment) Act

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new factsheet on India’s Citizenship (Amendment) Act: 

India Factsheet - In December 2019, the Indian Parliament passed into law the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). This law provides a fast track to Indian citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Quickly after the CAA’s passage, large scale protests broke out across India with the government instituting a violent crackdown against the protestors. In conjunction with a proposed nation-wide National Register of Citizens, there are fears that this law is part of an effort to create a religious test for Indian citizenship and could lead to the widespread disenfranchisement of Indian Muslims. This factsheet provides an overview of the CAA and explains why it represents a significant downward turn in religious freedom in India.

In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF placed India on its Tier 2 List.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or call (202) 523-3240.