China over Population

"Over-Population Doesn't Justify Disregard for Human Life"- anonymous. The question proposed is, does the Chinese population control policy violate human rights? This is very controversial issue. There are many different views on this subject. By some it's seen as a successful tool for making certain that China will be able to continue to support its large population. Others believe the policy is inhumane and causes abuses and female infanticide. Is China going about this problem the right way?

The slogan of the initial population control program is "Later, Longer, Fewer." The one child policy is not officially a law. It's more of a "way of life". China can't punish couples for having more then one child because it's not a law. So they provide motivation, such as extra salary or larger houses for couples that pledge to have just one child. If you did become pregnant and you agreed to give up your child the government would pay for abortions. A woman who had an abortion was rewarded with a paid vacation. China's policy pushes later marriages, postponing children, fewer and healthier births, and they encourage couples to only have one child. Figures show that the policy has reduced China's population by 250 million, isn't this good?

If you only have one child, you can provide more to that child. The child can have a better life. Lu Zhufeng, a 20 year-old medical student said, "If I have one child it will be raised better. It will have more opportunities, and my career is the most important thing. I really want to excel at it." Mothers used to stay home and take care of the children but with one child it isn't much work. With fewer children it will free up the mothers time so instead of caring for more then one child the mother has more time to go into the work force.

On the other point of view, some people might argue that the "one child policy" is a violation of human rights. Most Chinese families prefer male children to female children. The reason for this is the men are stronger and will be able to take care of them in their old age. However, if they have a female, she will have to get married and the parents will have to provide a dowry. As a result to this boy demand and since you can only have one child, if the female has a girl they might kill the infant, Hundreds are being drowned, smothered, and abandoned. The couple may try again for a male. One example of this is the story of Mei-ming , "no-name". At the age of two, she was tied to a chair, soaked in her urine, with dried mucus all over her nose and eyes, dying