It's essential to remember that a woman's "right to choose" encompasses both the choice to have an abortion and the right to have children. In China, poor women are often stripped of this choice.
When 23-year-old Feng Jianmei failed to sign a form to apply for a second child, Chinese authorities kidnapped her. After ransoming her for three days, they forcibly aborted her fetus.
She was seven months pregnant, but unable to pay the $6300 "second child fine" that Chinese parents must pay if they have more than one child.
This is a sickening violation of human rights. China's one-child policy is being viciously enforced with forced abortions, violence, social censure, and high fines. Now, the case of Feng Jianmei has reopened discussions of fairness and humanity which have always surrounded the one-child policy. Tell Chinese lawmakers to give poor women the right to choose!
We the undersigned clearly understand the perils of overpopulation, but the way you are enforcing your one-child policy is cruel and unfairly targets women, especially poor women, with violence and psychological cruelty. The case of Feng Jianmei is a good example. Not only was she forced into a dangerous late-term abortion, she was gratuitously beaten, frightened, and humiliated. There has GOT to be a better way to encourage responsible family planning than this! Education and incentives are always more humane than torture and violence. Please revisit and restructure your one child policy and especially how it is enforced against your poorest citizens!
