China Arrests Attorney for Forced Abortion Opponent After Obama Visit, Hearing

From http://lifenews.com/int1387.html

China Arrests Attorney for Forced Abortion Opponent After Obama Visit, Hearing

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 20, 2009

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Beijing, China (LifeNews.com) -- A Chinese human rights lawyer who is one of the attorneys for forced abortion opponent Chen Guangcheng, was arrested shortly after President Barack Obama departed China. Jiang Tianyong testified before a Congressional panel on November 10 sponsored by pro-life Rep. Chris Smith.

Tianyong, of Beijing Global Law Firm, had requested a meeting with President Obama with other human rights lawyers during Obama's visit this week, but was turned down.
Smith's office informed LifeNews.com late Friday that, after Obama left the country, Tianyong’s wife was beaten and he was hauled off by Chinese officials.
As legal counsel to Chen, who has helped draw international attention to the brutality of the one-child policy and the forced abortion and sterilization campaign used to enforce it, Tianyong testified before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.
He testified on these and other abuses of the family planning policy, which marks its 30th anniversary this year.
Smith will join Chinese human rights activist Harry Wu, 18-year political prisoner Wei Jingsheng, Tiananmen Square survivor Yang Jianli, and Michael Horowitz of the Hudson institute for a press conference on Monday to discuss the situation.

During the hearing, Smith took the opportunity to call on President Obama to ensure that human rights do not take a backseat to economic issues during his state visit to China this week.“Human rights are trivialized by China, and the United States has been sending a message that profits and money-making trumps human rights," Smith said.
“As President Obama embarks on this trip, we appeal to him to seriously raise the plight of Chinese women,” he said, in a statement sent to LifeNews.com.
Smith panned Obama for deciding to reauthorize $50 million in funds for the UNFPA, which has worked with the family planning officials in China who have forced women to have abortions to put them in prison for violating the policy.
“It is outrageous that the Obama Administration lavishly funds—to the tune of $50 million—organizations, including the U.N. Population Fund, that partner with China’s National Population Planning Commission," he said.

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