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(5/1/2007)

Women's Group Calls Amnesty International on Abortion Stance

Considers AI position an endorsement of forced abortion

May 1 /Standard Newswire/ -- Women for Life International, Inc. (WFLI) challenges Amnesty International (AI) to remain true to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). In a press release dated April 25, 2007, WFLI stated that AI's policy would be seen "as an endorsement of the inhumane treatment of pregnant women who are forced to abort their children." AI responded with a rebuttal and asked for a correction on this statement based on AI's long history of opposition to forced abortion. While WFLI does acknowledge and appreciate AI's opposition to forced abortion, WFLI calls upon AI to be more consistent and persistent in ending this violation against humanity and women.

According to AI's website the last reported incident of AI's opposition to forced abortion in China was in 2005. The opposition was concerning the imprisonment of human rights defender Chen Guangcheng who spoke out against forced abortion and Ma Weihua who "was arrested on drug charges, sentenced to life in prison and forced to have an abortion in police custody." There is no mention of Mao Hengfeng's, another imprisoned Chinese woman who spoke out against forced abortion, recent loss of an Appeal Court Ruling. To this date, there is still no response from AI concerning the 61 women who were drug from their homes in China and forced to have abortions. The China Aid Association (CAA) released a report of these women and their pre-born children who were victims of a campaign of forced abortions. The CAA has appealed to human rights organizations for help in this area. Where is AI's response on this human right's violation against women and their children?

"WFLI also foresees an increase in forced abortions in every country that legalizes abortion, no matter the reason," says WFLI Founder and Director, Molly S. White. According to "Forced Abortion in America" by the Elliot Institute, 30 to 60 percent of women having abortions feel pressured to do so by other persons. See www.afterabortion.org for more information. "Calling upon countries to legalize abortion, no matter what the justification, will only open the door for more human rights violations (forced abortions) against women and their pre-born children," continued White. In addition, "AI's adoption of a policy on 'selected aspects of abortion' flies in the face of the UDHR Preamble and Articles especially, Article's 3 and 6."

Furthermore, in an article, "Death penalty on the decline," posted on AI's website on April 30, 2007, Secretary General Irene Khan is quoted as saying, "AI is calling for a universal moratorium on execution." "WFLI is calling upon AI to call a moratorium on the International Executive Committee's (IEC) adoption of 'selected aspects of abortion' because it will mean the death penalty to certain pre-born human beings who are not perceived as having equal value or equal worth based on the means of their conception," says Mountenay. This is also a pure violation of Article 7 of the UDHR.

Mountenay, White and WFLI associates believe legal abortion is the highest form of exploitation against pregnant women and the number one cause of pre-meditated fetal death. "WFLI has found that pregnant women who feel trapped or fearful because of their pregnancy are really looking for help, support and encouragement to bring their child into the world, not ways to kill their child," says White. "Every pregnancy needs to be brought to natural completion. Every conceived (fertilized) child has the right to be born and to life no matter how the child was conceived," concludes Mountenay.