WASHINGTON, January 14, 2002 (LSN.ca) - Pro-lifers are encouraged that US President George W. Bush is considering removing funding from the pro-abortion United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) due to their promotion of abortion in contravention of the Mexico City Policy. That Bush is contemplating withholding the funds was revealed after he signed the $15.4 billion foreign aid bill containing the allotted $34 million UNFPA grant. The President made a point of noting in an accompanying statement that it gives him “additional discretion to determine the appropriate level of funding for the United Nations Population Fund.”
Over the past two years alone the Washington-based Population Research Institute has obtained evidence that:
1) UNFPA supports and funds coercive abortion, coercive sterilization and destruction of homes with jackhammers in China, and seeks to cover up these abuses; 2) UNFPA supports coercive sterilizations in Peru, and seeks to cover up these abuses; 3) UNFPA promotes chemical and manual suction abortions in Kosovar refugee camps, and in Kosovo, at the expense of the health and informed consent rights of Kosovar women, and sought to cover up this promotion of abortion; 4) UNFPA promotes chemical and manual suction abortions in Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan at the expense of the health and rights of traumatized refugees.
The most recent incident, the promotion of abortion among Afghan refugees was independently confirmed by the Pakistan News Service (PNS). The November news service report said “The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is distributing abortion devices and chemicals, disguised in kits marked for safe delivery in Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan, a survey conducted by PNS at a refugee camp in border town of Chaman revealed.” Malik Khan, an elderly Afghan refugee told PNS, “I have informed the authorities concerned about the distribution of pills among the women, but no action has so far been taken in this regard.”
With the annual U.S. March for Life only days away (Jan. 22) pro-lifers are hoping and praying President Bush will announce, perhaps even at the March, a denial of funds for the UNFPA due to the overwhelming evidence of its complicity with abortion. Pro-life US House Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) wrote the President encouraging him to “provide zero funding” to UNFPA. He expressed hope the President would do so. “I am thankful that our country now has a president who will listen to the plight of persecuted women and children in China and other countries where the UNFPA operates,” Smith wrote. Some have suggested that Bush may decide the matter this Wednesday. Pro-lifers are encouraged to call the White House and request zero funding for UNFPA. (See action item for details)
ACTION ITEM - PRI CALLS ON PRESIDENT BUSH TO ZERO-FUND UNFPA http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2001/dec/011221.html#7
See related coverage by the Pakistan News Service and AP: http://paknews.com/specialNews.php?id=212&date1=2001-11-22 http://www.nando.com/politics/story/217007p-2093419c.html