A new law could make Catholic priests in Hong Kong reveal what is said in the confessional, exposing thousands to trumped up charges of treason.

Under Article 23 – new legislation passed in March this year -priests could face a 14-year jail sentence if they refuse to reveal what is said to them by members of their congregation.

The news comes as the country marks the 35 year anniversary of protests at Tiananmen Square when the People’s Liberation Army cracked down on student-led protests and killed an unknown number of people.

Currently there are believed to be around 96.7 million Christians in China, out of China’s total population of around 1.4 billion.

The Chinese Communist Party’s want churches to fall in line with its official viewpoints and they are encouraged to praise and pledge allegiance to the Communist Party and its ideology.