China Dismisses, Detains Local Officials For Abuses of One-Child-Per-Family Population Policy

Main Category: Fertility
Article Date: 22 Sep 2005 - 0:00 PDT

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China on Monday said that it has dismissed or detained officials in the eastern city of Linyi for abuses practiced while enforcing the country's one-child-per-family population policy, the... Washington Post reports (Pan, Washington Post, 9/20). Yu Xuejun, spokesperson for the National Population and Family Planning Commission of China, said the authorities had launched an investigation after receiving complaints about illegal practices in the city, which is in the province of Shandong. "According to the results of a preliminary investigation, some persons concerned in a few counties and townships of Linyi did commit practices that violated the law ... while conducting family planning work," Yu said on the commission's Web site, adding, "Currently, the responsible persons have been removed from their posts. Some of them are being investigated for liabilities and some have been detained" (Lin/Kang Lim, Reuters, 9/19). The official did not provide details of the family planning-related offenses (Olesen, Associated Press, 9/19).

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The government declined to comment further on the arrest earlier this month of a Chinese advocate from Linyi who was seeking to bring a lawsuit challenging human rights abuses associated with the country's one-child-per-family policy (Washington Post, 9/20). Chen Guangcheng has recorded testimony from men and women in communities in and around Linyi who have experienced forced abortions and sterilizations, as well as had family members captured and tortured after they tried to hide or run from authorities. He had plans to bring a class-action lawsuit to challenge the government's use of coercive measures to enforce its policy, which has long been restricted from public debate. Chen earlier this month reported that Chinese authorities had confined him to his home, restricted him from receiving visitors, cut off his landline service and confiscated his computer (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 9/12). Chen, who remains under house arrest, told Reuters on Tuesday that the number of officials dismissed or detained "falls far short of the number of officials who should be punished." A source close to Chen said about 120,000 Linyi residents had been forced to undergo abortions or sterilization, but a Shandong family planning official said that figure is high. "Only lower-level officials will be punished," the official said by telephone, adding, "The Linyi mayor and town chiefs won't be punished" (Reuters, 9/19).

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