The Guangdong Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission released the revised application provisions and the benchmark of administrative punishment discretion of Guangdong Religious Affairs Departments on October 24.
The application provisions shall come into force on December 1, 2023, and shall be valid for five years.
Article 9 of the revised application provisions points out that a party involved in any of the following circumstances but not yet constituting a crime shall be given a heavy penalty, including advocating, supporting or funding religious extremism, or using religion to carry out illegal activities such as endangering national security and public safety, undermining national unity, splitting the country and terrorism, infringing on citizens' personal rights and democratic rights, disrupting social management order, and infringing on public and private property; continuing to carry out the illegal act after being ordered to stop and correct the illegal act by the religious affairs department and its law enforcement officers; concealing or destroying evidence of illegal acts; playing a major role in joint illegal acts or abetting, coercing or tricking others into committing illegal acts, etc.
Article 16 points out that "religious affairs departments at all levels should guide and implement the standardized discretion of administrative punishment through various forms of study and training and regularly organize practical training for administrative law enforcement personnel."
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
