Planned Parenthood and China’s One-Child Policy: part 2

“[T]he Chinese government has the best interests of its people at heart.”

This is just one of many statements that have been made over the years by Planned Parenthood leaders, despite China’s horrible human rights abuses in regards to population policies. Planned Parenthood is well-equipped to speak about the intentions of China’s notorious population policies. After all, it helps enforce them.

In an earlier article, I showed how Planned Parenthood not only has stated support at the international level for China’s one-child policy, but openly works with the organization responsible for the recently publicized forced abortion of Feng Jianmei’s 7-month-old daughter. Unfortunately, Planned Parenthood’s cooperation with China’s one-child policy goes much deeper than the abuse of Feng Jianmei. In case there is any doubt as to Planned Parenthood’s culpability in this regard, take a closer look.

International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has been operating in China for decades. In 1983, IPPF’s Chinese branch, the CFPA, officially became a full member of IPPF.

What exactly does CFPA do? The constitution of the organization explicitly states that CFPA “shall assist the government in maintaining a low birthrate.” As if that isn’t condemning enough, the document also makes clear that the organization will not only support China’s population policies, but will help enforce them. Here is an excerpt from CFPA’s list of objectives and missions:

Based on the need of the masses, CFPA shall endeavor to improve its service and capacity, and organize and advocate the masses to have less children, be well-off, healthy, and civilized.
[Objective] a. To implement the policies, laws, and regulations on national population and family planning, and promote the masses’ awareness on family planning;

Even the United States Department of State has recognized that CFPA enforces the one-child policy. In a 2005 human rights report discussing coercive family planning measures, the Department stated:

The Population and Family Planning Law, the country’s first formal law on the subject, entered into force in 2002. The National Population and Family Planning Commission (NPFPC) enforces the law and formulates and implements policies with assistance from the China Family Planning Association, which had 1 million branches nationwide.

It is now clear that Planned Parenthood’s Chinese branch openly implements the one-child policy. What does that policy entail? As explained in the previous article, forced abortions are permitted in the regulations of many Chinese provincial agencies – including regional offices that CFPA claims as its own. This 2001 testimony before the British Parliament explains other means by which CFPA assists the policy:

Only a political philosopher could make a distinction between China FPA and the Chinese Government as regards policy…. In a 1993 report, China FPA admitted that it had, ‘participated and supervised that the awarding and punishing policies relating to family planning were properly executed.’ IPPF itself has admitted that China FPA, ‘volunteers sometimes collect the occasional fine when a couple break the birth plan rules’.

Collecting fines? Implementing punishing policies? Working with agencies responsible for forced abortion? It seems as though Planned Parenthood has conveniently forgotten its “pro-choice” and “pro-women” mantra. Why does Planned Parenthood help enforce a policy that so obviously violates basic human rights?

The evidence is mounting against Planned Parenthood.  Planned Parenthood must explain why it is working with government entities responsible for forced abortions and heinous human rights abuses. The organization must give account for its enforcement of such an atrocious policy.

As self-declared advocates of “choice,” International Planned Parenthood Federation and its American counterpart, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, ought to fight this abuse. Because the United States wishes to maintain a relationship with China, it can be difficult to persuade politicians to take action against China’s one-child policy. Even so, we should pressure leaders and Planned Parenthood to address the abuse. By stopping CFPA, we can address the issue at its core and halt the enforcement.

Planned Parenthood has partnered with the culprits in a horrible abuse. At the least, they should be fighting against rather than enabling these future crimes.

Planned Parenthood has two options: abandon the “choice” rhetoric, or abandon CFPA. We will not tolerate China’s one-child policy. We certainly will not tolerate an organization’s receiving praise as an advocate for “choice” while enacting crimes against humanity like forced abortion.