An international human rights organization is charging that China is displaying an unprecedented level of hypocrisy this Sunday, June 1, by celebrating "Children's Day" with art exhibitions, festivals and performances.
But ignoring the estimated 400 million children killed through the nation's forced abortion one-child policy and practice.
Reggie Littlejohn, president of Womens Rights Without Frontiers, said, 'The people of China cherish their children, but the government of China is crushing them.
"If the Chinese government truly cared about children, it would stop forcibly aborting them. If they truly cared about girls, they would take strong measures to stop the selective abortion of females. It is hypocrisy for the Chinese government to sponsor a lavish media event such as Children's Day, meanwhile destroying children behind the scenes."
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The special celebration is planned across all provinces in China on June 1, Sunday.
WRWF has launched its "Save a Girl" program specifically aimed at undermining China's one-child policy, which encourages couples to abort their female babies in favor of males, because of the society's emphasis on male offspring.
According to a report from Littlejohn, "Our network of fieldworkers on the ground in China visits women who are thinking of aborting or abandoning their baby girls. We offer them monthly stipends for a year to help them keep their daughters. The program has met with great success – women are choosing to keep their baby daughters, with our encouragement and help."
She continued, "One recent example involves the mother of babies Bao-yo and Hui-ying (names have been changed to protect their identities). When their mother learned she was pregnant, she was thrilled. Soon, however, her in-laws began pressuring her to have a boy, so she went to a local hospital to have an ultrasound performed to determine the sex of the child. If it were a boy, she would have the baby. If it were a girl, she would abort. What would have been double her happiness turned to double despair: she was pregnant with not one, but two girls. When her husband's family found out the news, they were furious with their daughter-in-law. She didn't know what to do.
"But one of Women's Rights Without Frontiers' undercover fieldworkers found this frightened woman and told her about our 'Save a Girl' campaign. The pregnant mother and her husband could not believe an American organization would care about their daughters. Our fieldworker showed them pictures and told them stories of other families we have helped, other families who chose to join with us in believing that girls matter just as much as boys. The couple was convinced and overjoyed. Through the aid of one year of WRWF monthly stipends, they chose to keep their baby girls and soon precious twins were born. Now, the mother-in-law who had been so furious has changed her attitude. She enjoys the two new angels in her life," her report said.
WND reported earlier this year when Littlejohn's organization followed a case in China where an obstetrician was on trial – and eventually convicted – for trafficking Chinese infants.
The case highlights just one of the one-child policy's many unintended consequences.
Littlejohn said, "Couples who do not have a son want to obtain a boy through trafficking. Couples who already have a son may want to traffic a girl into their family, to ensure that their son will have a bride when he grows up."
According to the Voice of America, obstetrician Zhang Shuxia in Shaanxi province was convicted of trafficking seven infants after she convinced their parents their babies were dying or had died.
Littlejohn recently participated in the release of a new documentary film on why an estimated 200 million girls have "disappeared" in China.
She was recently in Hong Kong for the premier of the new movie, titled "It's a Girl." She told WND it appears the world is becoming increasingly more aware of the violence perpetrated against infant girls in China and elsewhere.
A campaign accompanying the movie offers viewers an opportunity to help save baby girls.
Because only male offspring carry on the family name, millions of baby girls are aborted or killed after they are born in China and other countries.
"I killed eight girl children," said one woman in the documentary.
The movie represents growing opposition around the world to the forced abortions.
Littlejohn said more people are aware of the crisis now, but some interest has been lost since China's Communist Party recently claimed that the forced-abortion policy had been eased.
Chinese officials said couples now will be allowed two children if either of the parents is an only child. Before the change, both parents were required to be only children.
However, Littlejohn pointed out forced abortion remains in place.
"Regardless of the number of children allowed, women who get pregnant without permission will still be dragged out of their homes, strapped down to tables and forced to abort babies that they want, even up to the ninth month of pregnancy," she said.
"It does not matter whether you are pro-life or pro-choice on this issue. No one supports forced abortion, because it is not a choice."
See the petition to stop China's "War on Women."
Even Chinese officials admitted the change would have little impact.
WND reported Wang Peian, deputy director of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, told the Chinese news agency Xinhua that "the number of couples covered by the new policy is not very large across the country."
In an interview with WND, Littlejohn said it's important to show people the horrors of the forced abortion policies.
Statements such as the recent one by Chinese officials are attempts, she believes, to distract people from the violence.
"Of course they don't want people to know the brutal truth," she said.
The "It's a Girl" project is supported by Amnesty International.
See Women's Rights Without Frontiers explain "gendercide":
See the movie trailer: