China gives family in forced-abortion case $11K

BEIJING - The Associated Press

In this photo taken Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, newborn babies wait to be bathed at a hospital in Zouping county in east China's Shandong province. AP Photo

The family of a woman forced to undergo an abortion because she ran afoul of China’s one-child policy has accepted a cash settlement from the government.
 
Feng Jianmei’s husband, Deng Jiyuan, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the family accepted the settlement of 70,600 yuan ($11,200) because they wanted to return to a normal life.
 
Feng was forced to abort her baby seven months into her pregnancy because she did not have 40,000 yuan ($6,300) to pay the fine for having a second child. The June incident caused a public uproar and renewed criticism against China’s tough family planning rules.

"We are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the sum," said Deng, a villager from central China’s Shaanxi province. "It has never been about the money. As ordinary people, we can no longer take the pressure from all sides of the society."
 
Deng and his family were labeled as traitors by fellow townspeople when he tried to get outside attention to the family’s plight. The man later went into hiding before he made it to Beijing to seek legal help.
 
Chinese authorities have apologized for the incident, fired two officials and sanctioned five others.
 
Deng said the family still wishes for another child.