Chinese Human Rights Defenders Calls for End to One-child Policy

Thirty years after introducing the one-child policy, Chinese authorities have been using violence and coercion to implement it, according to a report published on Tuesday by Chinese Human Rights Defenders.

The report documents 8-month pregnant women dragged into hospital for late-term abortions, land confiscated from families who don’t show up for pregnancy tests and campaigns encouraging people to report their neighbors’ reproductive secrets.

The rights group says current discussion on the policy — on how effective it has been and if China’s population has too many older people — misses the point. They say the policy is leading to widespread violence, mostly against women.

Family planning officials are given incentives and pressured to meet targets, who then enforce more abortions and sterilizations.

Families who don’t comply are punished with beatings or tough fines, and their children are denied education and jobs.

Chinese Human Rights Defenders called for the one-child policy to be abolished and replaced by a system of incentives and better education.


(2010-12-28/NTDTV)