Gan Yulan, a woman from a small town in Jianxi Province of China, was blindfolded and forced to have a sterilization operation by local township officials on March 23. Gan told a reporter that she was assaulted by the deputy director of the Local People's Congress on the way to the hospital and was forced to be sterilized without any family members present.
Four officers took her into custody without showing any legal warrant. The officer who assaulted her on the way to the hospital was deputy director, Wang Xuebing. When asked why he hit her, Wang said: "You are nobody. I can do whatever I want to you."
When they got to the local hospital, she was forced undergo the procedure without any preliminary medical screening or family members presence. Wang didn't even allow her to go home after the procedure and told her that she had no other choice.
Wu, the Dagang Township Supervisor, told the reporter that Gan had been notified six times during the past three years she needed to have the sterilization. He said, "Gan gave birth to her first child in 2001, and the second one in 2006, which already violated the one-child policy. She was supposed to have the procedure in September of ‘06."
Gan complained about the fine she had to pay every year because she didn’t have the operation. "I paid the $120 fine in 2008 and was told that I didn't have to have the sterilization done. They asked me to pay the fine again this year. My husband is a low-paid construction worker and I couldn't afford it. They then basically told me that I had to have the procedure. It's all about money," Gan said.
Wu said the local township officials had taken care of the dispute. He admitted that there were some disagreements and fighting between Gan and the officials that day, but repeatedly stressed that Gan was not forced in any way. However, Gan insisted that she was forced. Gan’s account was later verified by many eyewitnesses.
Forced abortions and routine sterilization operations are commonplace in China though China's family planning regulations prohibit forced sterilizations. It is understood that the Chinese media usually doesn't report disputes involving family planning. A victim wrote on a well-known blog, "I went to TV stations and newspapers for help, but was declined for one simple reason—the family planning dispute is not an approved topic."
Another blogger wrote that only the judicial bodies have the right to impose coercive measures to restrict personal freedom. The Family Planning Office shouldn't have the authority to force people to have sterilizations.
Read original article in Chinese.
