After 31 Years, Critical Issue of China's Brutal One-Child Policy Enters U.S. Presidential Debate
Super-pac raises China issue in new ad; Research points out that the policy deeply affects Americans, issue could sway voters
BOSTON, Dec. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After 31 years of torture and terror, China's One-Child Policy has finally been brought up as an important issue in a U.S. presidential race.
The reference to China's coercive birth control policy surfaced in a new 30 second "super-pac" ad entitled "Happy". The ad points out that Newt Gingrich co-sponsored a bill that gave $60 million a year to a U.N. program supporting China's One-Child Policy.
With so much recent research highlighting the policy's threat to America's security and economy, and with abortion taking its place as a top issue in the 2012 debate, many have asked why this ad is the first mention of an issue of such critical importance to millions of Americans.
"It's becoming clear that America wants to know where its next leader stands on China, its relationship to the U.S, and its brutality towards women," says Chai Ling, former commander-in-chief of students at the 1989 Tiananmen Square Student Movement and founder of All Girls Allowed.
She continues, "Both pro-choice and pro-life groups have interest in this issue and it should be highlighted in upcoming debates. Mothers in China are given no choice and 400 million lives have been "prevented", according to Chinese government statistics. Unfortunately, because of son-preference, most of these lives were girls, leading to a gender imbalance that deeply affects the U.S."
The Economist recently reported that in China, today's unmarried young men know there are five women for every six men (largely as a result of the policy and cultural preference for sons), and tend to save money to attract a wife. Unmarried men are un-spending men, leading to artificial inflation of China's currency. This has helped generate the current trade imbalance and daily impacts the U.S. economy.
Historically, countries with an excess of men have attacked other countries, says this Newsweek article, which first brought China's problem to national attention. Just weeks ago, Chinese President Hu Jintao's call to "prepare for war" has propelled it to national concern.
"For years, it should have mattered in national presidential debates that millions of mothers were forced to abort, and that whole villages were being sterilized in China," says Ling. She points to two horrific and recent stories: the killing of Ma Jihong, second-time mother (at the hands of Chinese officials) and the kidnapping of infants (by Chinese officials) for sale to U.S. adoption agencies.
"But with the danger facing America in this hour, we cannot remain ignorant. The One-Child Policy must be brought up as an issue in the U.S. Presidential election, " says Chai Ling. "Everybody wants to know what is going to be done with China, and where each candidate stands on the human rights atrocity that many have deemed 'the greatest crime ever committed against humanity.'"
The economy, foreign policy and abortion are in the top 5 issues for candidates. Questions about the One-Child Policy in China and national security are absolutely vital for each of these three categories.
All Girls Allowed is a humanitarian organization whose mission is to restore life, value and dignity to girls and mothers in China and expose the injustice of the One-Child Policy.
Chai Ling is the author of the new book A Heart for Freedom. A key student leader in the 1989 Tiananmen Square movement, Chai Ling was subsequently named Glamour Woman of the Year and nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize.
CONTACT:
Tessa Dale
Phone: 617.275.9176
Fax: 617.492.9081
[email protected]
http://www.allgirlsallowed.org
SOURCE All Girls Allowed
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