Woman buried alive and killed in attempt to protect church land

A woman was killed in Henan province last week after she and her husband, both in charge of a local church, were buried alive by a group of villagers who threatened to take a piece of land belonging to the church, Apple Daily reports. Li Jiangong, a Christian Chinese in his 50s, said a group of people drove a bulldozer to his church on April 14 and said they would take ownership of a plot of land right in front of the church. Li and his wife Ding Cuimei came out to stop the people but found themselves buried in mud as the bulldozer was started. Sources said a man gave the order to bury the couple and assumed any responsibility if there were casualties. Li managed to climb out in time but his wife did not make it. The group of villagers fled afterwards. Local public security police officers later arrested two villagers believed to be involved in the case. The incident became widely publicized internationally after it was reported by China Aid, an international non-profit Christian human rights organization committed to promoting religious freedom and rule of law in China. Li told Apple Daily that the villagers were not really seeking to demolish the church but to claim the piece of land, which is a prime location because it is near major expressways. He said his mobile phone has been tapped and his communications are being monitored by law enforcement agencies. According to thestandnews.com, the church managed by Li and his wife was built in 2007 and the land plot was bought by the church with the necessary licenses and documents from government departments.