State Department Defunds Large Abortion Provider Over Coerced Abortions

By C-FAM Staff | 2003

     (NEW YORK – C-FAM) In a surprise move, the US State Department this week stopped funding Marie Stopes International (MSI) for an HIV/AIDS program because of the organization’s close ties with UN Population Fund (UNFPA) activities in China, which the US government has determined assist the Chinese government in carrying out forced abortions and sterilizations. The decision appears to signal eagerness within the State Department to adhere rigorously to US law that forbids supporting groups involved in coercive population control programs in the developing world.

     Since 1998, Marie Stopes International has partnered with UNFPA to set up reproductive health programs in 32 counties in China. According to MSI, the central goal of the programs was to convince the Chinese government to liberalize its notorious “One Child” population law, which has resulted in millions of forced abortions and sterilizations.

     However, investigations carried out by the US and British governments found that coercion continues to occur. Both found evidence of massive fines, sometimes as high as three years worth of family income, levied against women who chose to give birth to second or third children instead of having abortions. Based upon these findings, Secretary of State Colin Powell concluded last year that it would be against US human rights law for the United States to continue to fund UNFPA.

     Now, the State Department has decided that the same law must apply to MSI. A State Department official told the New York Times, “The fact that they’re tied in with the [Chinese] government management program is what triggered the concern. This wasn’t an ideological decision; it was a legal decision.”

     MSI was receiving US funds for an HIV/AIDS program in Africa and Asia. MSI worked with six other groups, called the Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium, on the project. The State Department paid $1 million to the Consortium last year, and offered to continue to fund the program through the six other members of the Consortium this year.

     However, the groups refused this offer, telling the New York Times they would not respect a decision founded on such “baseless allegations.” A State Department official appeared saddened by their choice, “We were disappointed that for reasons of solidarity with Marie Stopes that they should refuse our money. We had hoped that they would show more humanitarian statesmanship than that.”

     In a letter of thanks to Powell, Congressmen Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Joseph Pitts (R-PA), Mike Pence (R-IN) and Todd Akin (R-MO) also voiced disappointment, writing, “It is regrettable that the other organizations… decided that protesting against US human rights policy is more urgent than assisting refugees.” But the Congressmen were encouraged by the State Department action, adding, “As NGOs and governments come to understand that our country is serious about a consistent human rights policy, we hope they will work with us to bring an end to the atrocious crimes of forced abortion and forced sterilization. The State Department’s principled action in the present instance will help to hasten that day.”

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter