Pro-Life Advocates Arrested in China Protesting Forced Abortions at Olympics
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 6, 2008
Beijing, China (LifeNews.com) — Three pro-life advocates were arrested in China and subsequently released after protesting the forced abortions there in advance of the Summer Olympics. Three pro-life activists wanted Chinese people to know Americans oppose the family planning policy that results in numerous human rights abuses.
Rev. Pat Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition, Brandi Swindell of Generation Life, and Michael McMonagle of Generation Life were arrested in Tiananmen Square and forcibly taken into custody.
They were standing in solidarity with the victims of human rights abuses, including forced abortion and religious persecution. The three held a banner with the words, "Jesus Christ is King."
As people walked by, they shouted, “End the brutality. To those who are forced to go through forced abortions and have no voice, we are your voice.”
“China promotes the barbaric practice of forced abortion and sterilization, while those who speak out against human rights abuses by the Chinese government are crushed and trampled," Mahoney told LifeNews.com in a statement after the incident.
Swindell said she has no problem facing arrest to be able to speak up for Chinese woman who are victimized during their pregnancies and their families who support them.
"I gladly risk my freedoms to speak out for those who have none," she said in the statement LifeNews.com received.
"As a young woman, I passionately speak out against the pain and suffering that Chinese women must face daily through the practice of forced abortion and human trafficking," she explained.
"They routinely deal with the tragic and painful loss of children through forced abortion and young girls face the horror of being sold into sex slavery through human trafficking. My hope is through my witness today I may be a voice for them," she added.
Despite the arrests, the three pro-life advocates have no plans to back down from condemning the problems Chinese people face under the coercive one-child policy.
The group is planning a news conference in front of the Mao Tse-tung Mausoleum on Thursday morning to discuss human rights abuses.
Mahoney also urged other political leaders, including President Bush, to address forced abortions and other problems as the nation holds the Olympics.
"The truth will always be heard and we hope that President Bush will boldly speak out against these human rights abuses on his official visit to China during the Olympics," he said.
Swindell concluded: "We pray that God will bring an end to these human rights abuses by the Chinese government and one day the world will see justice, liberty and freedom for the beautiful people of this wonderful country."
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