Sex Selection Banned
The People’s Daily, a Chinese newspaper, recently reported that the province of Anhui in eastern China has outlawed the use of medical equipment to determine the sex of an unborn baby, unless medically necessary for reasons such as diagnosing hereditary diseases. The law was passed by the provincial Family Planning Committee and the provincial Public Health Department and applies to all medical institutions, family planning services and private clinics.
In addition, the regulations allegedly forbid abortions on women who are more than 16 weeks pregnant, unless the child is severely handicapped, or the mother’s life is threatened. Those who violate the law will be fined.
The article doesn’t state whether or not the prohibition of abortion after 16 weeks applies to government officials who forcibly abort women who are pregnant with “illegal” second or later children.
The most obvious solution to sex-selective abortion, of course, is ignored. If women are permitted to have as many children as they wish, they will not feel pressured into choosing between killing their daughter or growing old without having a son to care for them.
(“Chinese Province Passes Regulation to Stop Sex-Section Abortion,” People’s Daily, 6 December 2000, reprinted in Pro-Life Infonet)
STDs Up in China
China is experiencing an explosion in its levels of sexually transmitted diseases. Recently released figures indicate that eight million Chinese people have STDs and the number is growing by 40% every year. HIV cases number 500,000, a figure which is expected to double in the next few years. In the past, STD cases in China were grossly underestimated at 830,000, partially because the Chinese government contended that STDs are a problem only in the west.
Reasons cited for the large number of STDs range from the sexual revolution to poor health services. The one-child policy is also to blame for the spread of STDs. The imbalance in the number of men and women, which has resulted from the one-child policy and the traditional preference for sons, means a huge shortage in the number of marriageable women. There has also been a delay in the age of marriage. These factors lead to an increase in promiscuity, prostitution, and homosexuality. In addition, the strict moral controls of socialism have been relaxed, but they have been replaced with nothing.
(“China Battles Sex Disease Explosion,” bbc.co.uk, 7 November 2000)
1.6 Billion Population Cap?
The government of the People’s Republic of China recently announced a population target of 1.6 billion by the middle of the 21st century. China’s population is currently 1.26 billion. The government credits the coercive one-child policy for this number, saying that without the policy there would be 300 million more Chinese today. Zhang Weiqing, director of the State Family Planning Commission, announced plans to continue enforcing this policy. Explained Zhang, “If we relax our work in this regard, it is highly possible that this work will be undone.” In other words, without the use of fines and other penalties, as well as forced abortions and sterilizations, Chinese families would choose to have more children than the government desires they should have. In the denial typical of Chinese officials, Zhang stated that forced abortions and sterilizations are “aberrations” which are punished by the government.
(“China Hopes to Cap Population,” AP, 19 December 2000)
Pop Control in Pakistan
In the last issue of this newsletter we reported that Pakistan had rejected grant from the UNFPA because it was made contingent on the acceptance of UNFPA-directed sex education for primary school children in order to impart “awareness on small families from an early age.” Unfortunately for the Pakistani people, UNFPA didn’t give up. In late November, UNFPA and the Pakistani government signed an agreement for a grant of US $35 million to Pakistan, payable over the next four years. The grant is to be used for “reproductive health, population and development strategy, advocacy and programme coordination.” The first installment of the grant will be a $1.2 million “contraceptive procurement.” The Pakistani Federal Minister for Population Welfare, Dr. Attiya Inayatullah, explained that maintaining Pakistan’s fertility reduction is a “national priority.”
(“Pakistan Caves in to Population Control,” LSN.ca, 29 November 2000; “UNFPA to give $35 million: Sixth Country Programme launched,” www.dawn.com/2000/11/29/top13.htm)
