Campaign launched to 'sterilise 10,000 people in China'
Injections of modified virus could treat cancer
Friday, 16, Apr 2010 05:57
By Emer Martin.
Nearly 10,000 people are being targeted by family planning authorities in a campaign to sterilise men and women suspected of trying to violate China's family planning policies, reports claim.
In a drastic move to get rid of cases where China's one-child rule is flouted, the city of Puning, south east China, has launched a 20-day family planning campaign. The campaign, which begun on April 7th intends to sterilise 9,559 women or their husbands who were not allowed to have their second or third child, Nanfang Countryside Daily said on Thursday.
A statement reported in The Global Times, the small city's council bureau said those who did not submit to sterilisation voluntarily or were "not found" would have their mother or father taken away.
Reports suggest that around half of those targeted have agreed to have the operation. But officials have detained the elderly parents of those who do not submit voluntarily to the surgery or who try to evade the authorities to force them to comply.
The Global Times reported that last Sunday some 100 people, mostly elderly, were seen inside a 200 square-metre building at a township family planning centre, being kept in terrible conditions.
The newspaper reported that the room was too small for all the people to lie down and the cold conditions forced people to huddle together. Similar situations have been reported to have been seen in other townships around Puning.
Local officials have described the campaign as "strong tactics" necessary to get people to come in and agree to the sterilisation.
But concerns have been raised from some local officials over whether the campaign violates national regulations on what action can be taken against families who flout China's strict family planning rules, the Global Times said.
According to these rules no unauthorised custody, abuse, revenge or penalties may be slapped on families or relatives of couples who violate the policy.
China has had a "one couple, one child" policy since the late 1970s, which is now widely accepted with certain exceptions having been incorporated. In the rural area of Puning, farmers are allowed to have a second child if their first is a girl due to the importance placed on having a son. Many couples will continue trying until they produce a son.