Chen’s Fight Against Forced Abortion Draws Support From US Activists

Chen Guangcheng has been persecuted in China for his work pressing for an end to forced abortions and sterilizations under China’s “one-child” policy.

And that work has helped Chen gain support in the US.

Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Reggie Littlejohn, President of the advocacy group, Women’s Rights Without Frontiers.

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Marco Werman: I’m Marco Werman. This is “The World”. It’s still not clear what’s happening with blind Chinese dissident, Chen Guangcheng. Earlier today, Chen told the BBC that he has been unable to meet with US officials to discuss his desire to leave China. That would appear to be a violation of the deal American diplomats had reached with China before Chen left the protection of the US embassy in Beijing yesterday. During his six days in the embassy, Chen said he wanted to stay in China, but he changed his mind soon after leaving saying he feared for the safety of his family. Chen’s case is embarrassing the Obama Administration and creating fresh tensions between Beijing and Washington, threatening to overshadow a visit by Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton. We’ll hear more about that in a moment. First though, Chen Guangcheng has been persecuted in China because of his work pressing for an end to forced abortions and sterilizations under China’s “one-child” policy and that work has helped Chen gain support in the US. Reggie Littlejohn is President of the advocacy group, Women’s Rights Without Frontiers. She testified at an emergency hearing on Chen’s case in Washington today. Littlejohn spoke to us earlier about why her group worked to help Chen.

Reggie Littlejohn: We oppose forced abortion, forced sterilization, and infanticide. So it doesn’t really matter whether you’re pro-choice or pro-life philosophically. No one supports forced abortion because it’s not a choice and what we’re doing is we are showing the unintended consequences of the one-child policy which is the most violent policy against women not only the world today, but in the history of the world.

Werman: Chen’s case has created, obviously, a political firestorm. His case has also been embraced by a number of pro-life organizations in the United States, and it may not be part of your agenda, Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, but it doesn’t mean it’s not getting co-opted by anti-abortion advocates. Do you think Mr. Chen has become a representative in a way for the pro-life movement?

Littlejohn: Well, I think that he has, but I don’t know if he would necessarily identify himself as pro-life. No one to my knowledge has ever asked him that question. It’s clear that he opposes coercion. Now, in terms of the pro-life groups that have gotten behind him, I think that’s great because, as I said, it doesn’t matter whether you’re pro-life or pro-choice, no one supports forced abortion because it’s not a choice, and I challenge the pro-choice organizations to get behind Chen Guangcheng because he very specifically has given his life to oppose coercion of women.

Werman: It’s interesting, I mean you work in a highly polarized, politicized subject of abortion rights. Is this one of those rare places where abortion rights advocates and anti-abortion advocates may actually be coming together?

Littlejohn: I believe it’s the only place. I think that opposing forced abortion is something that everybody can agree on and I also think that opposing the selective abortion of baby girls is something that people can agree on. And so Women’s Rights Without Frontiers is the only organization I’m aware of that is walking this tightrope, and so far we’re doing it pretty effectively and what it means is yeah, the pro-life community has embraced the issue, but also, I have addressed the European Parliament twice, I addressed the Obama White House once, more pro choice venues also opened their doors to Women’s Rights Without Frontiers because we do not take a position on the life issue.

Werman: Well, let me ask the question in a different way. Does all the hoopla over Chen now complicate the abortion discussion here in the United States? Are you beginning to sense that?

Littlejohn: It get sidestepped. When you talk about the mainstream media, they really mostly characterize him as a human rights activist and they might not even mention that his specific issue is forced abortion.

Werman: Right, but I just checked out this website, lifenews.com. It talks about Chen’s case and then asks readers below to click ‘like’ if you’re pro-life.

Littlejohn: Right. So that’s the way that they’re presenting it. You know, I’m very grateful to the pro-life organizations for embracing this issue because if they hadn’t it wouldn’t be getting the traction that it does. I just am challenging the pro-choice organizations to do same thing. I mean you could just as easily have an article about Chen Guangcheng on a pro-choice website and have somebody say, “Click here if you’re pro-choice.”

Werman: Miss Littlejohn, what do you think of how the Obama Administration has handled Chen’s case?

Littlejohn: I think that it’s abysmal. I think that they have fumbled it very seriously by, in some sense, overly encouraging or even, some people would say, coercing him into leaving the embassy and then not following through with the escort inside of they hospital that they had promised. Now, that being said, I heard that they have said that if Chen indeed does want to come to the United States, that they can help him, and that is what has to happen. Chen’s life is in danger in China, so is his family, and the United States needs to grant him asylum and bring them all here.

Werman: Reggie Littlejohn, President of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, an advocacy group. Thanks very much for your time.

Littlejohn: Thank you very much.

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