Colleen Mills
20 Jan 2011
4:39 PM
Ling Chai, just like every other individual in China today, recognizes China’s enforced One-Child Policy. This policy was created in the late 70’s as a means of controlling China’s exponential population growth. Many members of Congress, alongside of Chai, urged Hu Jintao, most recently, to end the policy as soon as possible. She stood with many other human rights activist, even though she was considered the number two most wanted on China’s most wanted list. Chai spoke to a room full of people noting that: "The brutal and violent enforcement of the one-child policy is the largest crime against humanity.”
She also spoke to President Obama saying that since he was the father of two girls, in China, he would “have to choose which one he wanted to keep, or give them both up.”
China’s One-Child Policy works such that a single Chinese family would be permitted to have only one child due to the country’s over-crowded population of 1.3 billion. Most families are forced into paying fines and some are so desperate to avoid legal trouble that they sell their children via human trafficking or they get an abortion. One instance that led Chai into becoming such an advocate was due to a testimony that she heard as an interpreter. The story included a Chinese woman being dragged to an abortion clinic by Chinese Officials against her will.
“The psychological effects of the policy are evident in China's suicide rate for women which is three times higher than that of men. The World Health Organization reported over 500 female suicides per day in China in 2008, the only country in the world in which more women take their lives than men.” This direct quote was spoken by Smith, one of Chai’s fellow advocates.
In the United States, debate goes on consistently in terms of the morality of abortion and an individual’s right to such. Imagine living in a country where local officials force you to abort your developing child against your beliefs. Imagine having been the child “not” chosen while knowing that your brother or sister is living a torturous life in another country against their will. Imagine being the child sent to another country to labor their life away or become a sex slave. Imagine having to actually choose one of your children to keep safe and alive.
Chai is one of the few brave individuals that took the initiative to stand up for her beliefs, even in the face of the man that exiled her from her home country. China needs more individuals to act in accordance to their beliefs and make a point to help correct China’s population problem and attached policy. The significance of this event comes into play as it may be the first step in the cessation of China’s inhumane One-Child Policy.
1 comment:
It is hard to believe that such a terrible policy has remained in place for so many years. I have friends in China in the medical field and it is sad the stories they tell. We really need to value are freedom.
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