Rep.
Chris Smith (R-N.J.) has written hysterically to the president asking him
to withhold funds to UNFPA, UN Family Planning Agency, in his words
"because the United Nations is giving 'standing ovations' to forced abortion in
China".
In October 2001 an investigative team headed by a former
Dutch ambassador looked into this claim and found
no evidence for it. The same
findings came in April 2002, from official government fact-finding
teams from Great Britain and the United States traveling to China.
On the contrary, as a
condition for its presence, the United Nations has persuaded the Chinese to drop the one-child policy in the counties where it has
programs; and the United Nation's goal is to show the Chinese that family
planning can work without coercion. (Washington Post Jan 15th 2002)
Nevertheless based on this mis-information, Bush has placed a hold on funding
UNFPA, apparently under pressure from irrational anti-abortion
forces. July 2002, President Bush eliminated UNFPA funding for
2002/3, even though Congress approved $34 million for the program
Dec 2001.
Tell your Gov Representatives to ensure
UNFPA gets funded. http://www.congress.org/
A crowded entrance to a family planning clinic in India
Photo Benjamin Lozare JHU/CCP
Source Population Connection
There was a press release on Jan 18
2002, issued by an anti-abortion non-profit org., PRI, titled
"UNFPA
Supports the Destruction of Homes With Jackhammers, Coercive Abortion And
Coercive Sterilization"
This
release was generated from a 4 day trip to China, Sep 2001 by PRI. The subsequent fact
finding investigations followed in Oct. & Apr found no evidence for
PRI's claims. Whether PRI interviewed
Chinese women, from counties where UNFPA operates, remains to be seen.
