E/CN.4/1995/91 page 114 Religious bodies and religious affairs are not subject to any foreign domination." The Autonomous Regions of National Minorities Act (arts. 11 and 53), the Penal Code (arts. 147 and 165), the Civil Code (art. 77), the Military Service Code (art. 3), the Electoral Code (art. 3), the Compulsory Education Act (art. 16) and the Organization of Rural Committees Act provide for the protection of freedom of worship and equality of rights for religious citizens. In particular, article 147 of the Penal Code provides that: "State officials who violate the freedom of worship of citizens or the customs of national minorities are punishable in serious cases by imprisonment for not more than two years or by a short term of imprisonment. Any person who forcibly prevents legal religious activities, compels believers to abandon their religion, compels a citizen to practise any form of worship, illegally closes or demolishes legal places of worship or other religious premises is violating democratic rights and individual freedom and failing in his duty and is punishable by law." On 31 January 1994 two new regulations governing religious activities came into force. The first (entitled "Provisions governing the religious activities of foreign nationals within the frontiers of the People’s Republic of China") was promulgated by Council of State Decree No. 144. Article 1 of this regulation states that its purpose is to "protect the freedom of religion of foreign nationals in China". Articles 3 and 4 provide that foreign nationals may engage in religious activities provided that the latter take place in religious venues or places recognized as such by the Office of Religious Affairs. The regulation also guarantees to foreign nationals the right to bring with them religious publications not exceeding in quantity "what they require for their personal use" and prohibits "entry of any document of a religious character" the contents of which prejudice the interests of the public in Chinese society (art. 6). Foreign nationals must respect Chinese laws and regulations and "are not permitted to establish religious organizations, liaison offices, venues for religious activities or non-religious schools and institutes within China; they are not allowed to recruit believers among the Chinese citizens, appoint clergy or undertake other evangelist activities" (art. 8). Article 9 states that any foreign national engaging in activities of these kinds is liable to penalties in accordance with Chinese law. The second regulation (entitled "Regulation concerning the functioning of places of worship") was promulgated by Council of State Decree No. 145. Its purpose is to protect "normal religious activities" (see art. 36 of the Constitution). It guarantees the right of religious organizations to receive subsidies or gifts, to sell objects of a religious nature and to administer their assets and income themselves (arts. 6, 7 and 8). Article 3 states that their "legal rights, and the normal religious activities ... will be under the protection of the law, and no organization or person will be permitted to transgress or interfere". Article 2 states that all "places devoted to religious activities" (temples, monasteries, mosques, churches or other places in which religious activities take place) must be declared to the authorities in accordance with rules established by the government Office of Religious