China To Inspect Law Enforcement Of Family Planning

By Ng Che Yean BEIJING, June 30 (Bernama) -- Ten investigation teams would be sent to 19 provincial-level administrative regions to inspect and ensure lawful enforcement of the family planning policy, said the National Population and Family Planning Commission. The inspection is aimed at ensuring the lawful enforcement of the policy by correcting some problems which occur when grassroots officers enforce the policy, the commission said in a statement. The measure comes after a forced abortion case involving a seven-month pregnant woman in northwest China's Shaanxi province, which was exposed online, triggering public anger. The coming inspection is expected to help prevent "brutal law enforcement and administrative power from intruding on people's rights", according to the statement. According to a statement by Shaanxi province's Ankang city government on its website, Feng Jianmei, 23, was found to be pregnant with a second child in March, but she failed to provide government documents permitting her to give birth to a second child. On June 2, Feng was taken to Zhenping County Hospital and forced to terminate her seven-month pregnancy. The statement also said that local family planning authorities required Feng and her family to submit a 40,000 yuan (US$6,300) deposit, which would be returned to her after she received official permission to give birth. The Ankang city government has punished seven officials in Zhenping county involved in the case. -- BERNAMA