The government in China is working to soften it approach to marketing the one-child policy that results in forced abortions and sterilizations but appears to have no plans to actually scale back the controversial law itself.
According to one report:
China’s communist party newspaper, People’s Daily, reports that the government will revamp its abrasive-sounding slogans surrounding the policy.
People’s Daily cites several examples of “harsh slogans,” including those “which sometimes even threaten criminal acts.” The newly instituted program, slugged the “face-washing project,” will offer more proactive slogans to help enforce the policy, which has been in place since 1979. China claims the policy, which applies to those living in urban areas, affects approximately 35.9 percent of the population and has resulted in an estimated 400 million fewer births since first being implemented.
Some examples of the more offensive slogans currently in use include:
“If you don’t receive the tubal ligation surgery by the deadline, your house will be demolished!”
“We would rather scrape your womb than allow you to have a second child!”
“Kill all your family members if you don’t follow the rule!”
And…
“Once you get captured, an immediate tubal ligation will be done; Should you escape, we’ll hunt you down; If you attempt a suicide, we’ll offer you either the rope or a bottle of poison.”
The new less offensive slogans replacing the more callous ones will reportedly seek to “avoid offending the public and stoking social tensions.”
Kristi Burton Brown of the Live Action blog noticed the attempt to market the one child policy and the massive human rights abuses associated with it.
“Of course, the Chinese media—which is the government’s media—blamed officials in local areas for the unpalatable slogans. They also ensured that everyone knows the One Child Policy will go nowhere. According to those in power in China, the policy is there to stay,” she said. “Similar to Planned Parenthood in the U.S., the Chinese government wants to promote the murder of children by making it sound more interesting, advisable, and good. They try to excuse away their promotion of death with upbeat words. Neither one of these abortion giants have any desire to stop abortion. They simply want to not sound like the bad guy.”
“The international community should reject China’s thinly veiled attempt at making their One Child Policy sound “upbeat”. The One Child Policy is forced abortion, plain and simple. It flies in the face of life and choice. Adding words on to their slogans like “caring” and “please” do not erase the fact that they are still requiring parents to abort “out-of-plan” children or pay a fine many times a wealthy person’s salary,” Brown adds. “The Chinese government openly admits that their slogans are propaganda. They do not hide the fact that they are trying to force their own horrible views on each and every citizen of China.”
Brown concludes: “Regardless of what the Chinese government says, the gendercide against girls is rooted in the One Child Policy. Until they end this human rights violation, girls will continue to be singled out for death, and forced abortion will have no end in sight.”
