Inrecentyears,theChineseGovernmenthasbeentimeandagainaccused,bythoseintheWestwhoareeitherhostiletowardsthecountryorignorantofitsrealities,ofactinginviolationoftherightofitscitizenstoreligiousbeliefs.Thereistheallegationthat"officialrespectforreligiousfreedominChinahasdiminished."Tofindoutthetruth,theChinaSocietyforHumanRightStudies(CSHRS)organizedastudytourofHebeiProvince,northChina,theveryfirstofitskindsincethesocietycameintobeingtenyearsago.Thegroup,headedbyZhouJue,presidentoftheCSHRS,comprisedsomeofthemostprominentexpertsonhumanrightsandoninternationallaws.Thestudytour,fromSeptember21to27,2003,coveredallthereligionspracticedinChina—Buddhism,Taoism,Islam,CatholicismandProtestantism,withCatholicismasthefocus.
