06/14/2012, 00.00
CHINA
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Forced abortions in China killing children just like in Syria

by Wang Zhicheng
Scandal and outrage over story and the photo of the woman forced to have abortions, pictured with the dying baby boy lying next to her in bed. Shaanxi population control authority have launched an investigation. The woman's husband wants to sue employees who forced his wife to abort. In China, forced abortions are prohibited by law, but papers are full of stories of forced abortions and sterilizations.

Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The forced abortions in China that are practiced in the name of the one child law "are like the murder of women and children taking place in Syria".  This is one comment on the internet following the publication of the news and terrible photo of a Chinese woman forced to abort the seventh month and pictured with the small shot at his side on the hospital bed.

The story was published by AsiaNews two days ago (see: 12/06/2012 Chinese woman forced to abort in the seventh month. One-child rule massacre continues). Since then the Internet in Chinais full of fiery comments against the Shaanxi family planning authority , so much so they have been forced to open an investigation to see whether if there has been forced abortion in the case in question.

In China the one child law, in force since the late 70s, was always applied with violence, but in recent years the government has promised not to use coercive methods. In theory, forced abortion is prohibited but the media abounds with reports of forced abortions and sterilizations. Very often used population  control authorities allow themselves to be corrupted by charging high fines.

According to human rights groups, Feng Jianmei, a woman of 22 years in the town of Zengjia (see photo), was kidnapped by employees of Family Planning and held for three days in the hospital where the abortion was performed at the seventh month of pregnancy against her will.

She and her husband Deng Jiyuan have a child of five years. At the time of the kidnapping, Deng was working in Inner Mongolia. The authorities called him with an ultimatum: either pay 40 thousand yuan in fines (the fee for second child), or "choose" an abortion. Deng pointed out that the amount claimed is "more than four years of my salary," and it was impossible to collect.

Not being able to pay, the employees of population control proceeded to inject Feng with drugs to induce the abortion.

According to authorities, Feng consented to abortion. For the husband, his wife was forced to put her fingerprint on the medical record: her "consent" was extorted. For this reason, some lawyers are planning to sue the family planning authorities.

Photos: SCMP

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