Reports of forced abortions or sterilization in the province of Liaoning for the period between 2003 and 2005 could not be found among the sources consulted within time constraints. However, the following information may be of interest.

While the Chinese government has made efforts to end the practice of coercion in the implementation of family planning policies by prohibiting the use of force and introducing financial rewards for one-child families (The Sunday Times 18 Sept. 2005; see also The Independent 21 Sept. 2005; U.S. Newswire 19 Nov. 2003), some sources report that forced sterilization and abortions continue to occur, particularly in rural areas (AI 2005; AP 15 Sept. 2005; HRW 1 Jan. 2004; VOA 26 Sept. 2005; The Washington Post 27 Aug. 2005). According to an article in The Washington Post, "many local officials continue to rely on forced abortion and sterilization, in part because the ability to limit population growth remains a top consideration in party deliberations about promotions and raises" (27 Aug. 2005; see also AP 15 Sept. 2005; Time 12 Sept. 2005). However, Amnesty International (AI) has cautioned that reports of forced abortions and sterilization are difficult to verify as a result of "tight government control of information in China" (AI 8 Oct. 2004), and Human Rights Watch (HRW) noted in its 2003 overview of human rights conditions in China that reports of forced abortions and sterilization had been received by the organization but could not be confirmed (HRW 1 Jan. 2004).

In what The Sunday Times has called "the worst [case of family planning] abuses documented in recent years" (18 Sept. 2005), beginning in March 2005, thousands of men and women were reportedly forcibly sterilized, and fetuses were aborted in the city of Linyi, Shandong Province (AP 15 Sept. 2005; The Sunday Times 18 Sept. 2005; Time 12 Sept. 2005; The Washington Post 27 Aug. 2005). A local activist, Chen Guangcheng, told the media that local family planning officials had been criticized by provincial authorities in July 2004 for failing to keep population growth down (AP 15 Sept. 2005; see also Time 12 Sept. 2005). State media reported that the National Population and Family Planning Commission was investigating the allegations (China Daily 9 Sept. 2005), while an unknown number of local health officials in Linyi were also reportedly fired over the allegations (BBC 20 Sept. 2005; The Independent 21 Sept. 2005). Meanwhile, Chen Guangcheng, the local activist who had been collecting testimony from Linyi residents and preparing a lawsuit against family planning officials, was reportedly detained on 6 September 2005 by local authorities (The Washington Post 7 Sept. 2005), and later placed under house arrest (The Independent 21 Sept. 2005; The Sunday Times 18 Sept. 2005).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Amnesty International (AI). 2005. "China." Amnesty International Report 2005. http://web.amnesty.org/report2005/chn-summary-eng [Accessed 11 Oct. 2005]

_____. 8 October 2004. "China: Protester against Forced Abortion Sent to Prison Camp." http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/ENGASA170522004 [Accessed 17 Oct. 2005]

Associated Press (AP). 15 September 2005. Alexa Olesen. "Researchers urge China to Relax Its One-Child Policy." (Factiva)

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 20 September 2005. "China 'Acts on Forced Abortions'." http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4262890.stm [Accessed 21 Sept. 2005]

China Daily. 9 September 2005. "Human Rights Investigation Conducted." China Internet Information Center. http://service.china.org.cn/ [Accessed 14 Sept. 2005]

Human Rights Watch (HRW). 1 January 2004. "China." World Report 2004. http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2003/12/31/china7001.htm [Accessed 11 Oct. 2005]

The Independent [London]. 21 September 2005. David Eimer. "China Admits Women Were Forced to Have Abortions." http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article314003.ece [Accessed 21 Sept. 2005]

The Sunday Times [London]. 18 September 2005. Michael Sheridan. "China Shamed by Forced Abortions." (Factiva)

Time. 12 September 2005. Hannah Beech. "Enemies of the State? How Local Officials in China Launched a Brutal Campaign of Forced Abortions and Sterilizations." http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,1103579,00.html [Accessed 14 Sept. 2005]

U.S. Newswire [Washington]. 19 November 2003. "UN Presence in China Reduces Coercion in Family Planning, States New Report; Delegation Calls on Bush to Restore Funding to UN Agency." (Factiva)

Voice of America (VOA) [Washington]. 26 September 2005. "Researchers Urge China to Relax Its One-Child Family Planning Policy." (Factiva)

The Washington Post. 7 September 2005. Philip P. Pan. "Rural Activist Seized in Beijing: Legal Campaign Has Targeted Forced Sterilization, Abortion." http://www.washingtonpost.com/ [Accessed 14 Sept. 2005]

_____. 27 August 2005. Philip P. Pan. "Who Controls the Family? Blind Activist Leads Peasants in Legal Challenge to Abuses of China's Population-Growth Policy." http://www.washingtonpost.com/ [Accessed 26 Sept. 2005]

Internet sites, including: Asia Times Online, Human Rights in China, Laogai Research Foundation.