Oppose Birth-Control Violations

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 Urgent Action Against Funding/Association of China’s Coercive Birth Control Program

Communist China’s population program is highly coercive and features gross violations of reproductive freedoms, including  forced sterilisations and  forced abortions Clearly these policies violate a woman’s right to freedom of choice and to have control over her own body. The following information is intended to provide you with a framework to take action against these violations.

Background

Both the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development and 1999 Cairo Plus 5 Conference in New York rule out coercion relating to reproductive rights. Additionally the 1995 UN Women’s Conference and NGO Forum recognised such abuse as serious violation of women’s human rights and condemned such practices calling for governments to take action. This commitment is reflected in the conference report; the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, both of which received the support and consent of governments. These documents clearly state governments should;

“Take all appropriate measures to eliminate harmful, medically unnecessary or coercive medical interventions…” and that “Acts of violence against women also include forced sterilisation and forced abortion, coercive/forced use of contraceptives…” (section D, paragraph 115).

It is also stated that women should have the right to have control over their sexuality and reproductive health, “free of coercion, discrimination and violence”. As evidenced by the broadcast of several harrowing television documentaries on the issue, including UK-Channel Four’s ‘Undercover in Tibet’ (April 2008). Reports such as ‘Orders Of The State’ (ITN 2000), ‘Children of Despair’ (ITN 1992) and ‘Slaughter of the Innocents’ (Dr J. Aird, AEI Press 1991) there is no longer any doubt that China’s population program is highly coercive.

In October 2001 the US Senate was presented with damning evidence, researched inside communist China, that documented the nature and extent of medical atrocities resulting from the program, and the shameful complicity of the United Nations population agency (UNFPA). Since then the US Congressional Executive Committee on China and the United States State Department have noted that coercive measures and medical atrocities continue. In light of such violations how can governments justify donating millions of taxpayer’s money to population agencies, such as the United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), both closely associated with the program, when there is such damning evidence that abuse is widespread and not being moderated by the involvement of such agencies? Furthermore, how can any government endorse and pledge a commitment to the findings of the Beijing Declaration on these issues, while at the same time continue to fund (and support politically and morally) China’s appalling population program?

Act Now for East Turkestan and Tibet

Please join the campaign to promote women’s human rights in East Turkestan, Tibet and communist China by expressing your concern to the addresses below. Remember, we must ask why UNPFA and IPPF are continuing to work within communist China, while aware of these terrible violations, and that their presence is having no humanising effect upon the Chinese program.

Sample Petition Against China’s Coercive Population Control Program

I would like to express my concern regarding human rights abuses within communist China’s population program. I am shocked that according to documentation provided by Tibettruth women are denied reproductive rights or freedom of choice. That they face a series of draconian measures including; financial penalties, mental/physical coercion, mass campaigns of forced sterilisations, forced abortions. It is worrying to note the continuing support and involvement of your department/organization with this program violating, as it does, several important human rights instruments/agreements; including, ironically, the Beijing Declaration of the Fourth World UN Conference on Women. I appeal to you to withdraw your association/sponsorship until such time as communist China can demonstrate it is operating a humane and education-based population program, where the dignity, human rights of women is respected and enshrined in law and practice.

Email

Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin
Executive Director
United Nations Fund for Population
220 East 42nd Street
New York
NY 10017
USA
hq@unfpa.org

Mr. Tewodros Melesse
Director General
International Planned Parenthood Federation
4 Newhams Row, London, SE1 3UZ. UK
info@ippf.org

Mr Andrew Mitchell MP
Secretary of State
Department for International Development
1 Palace Street
London
SW1E 5HE. UK

enquiry@dfid.gov.uk