AMSTERDAM, September 2, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Dutch Foreign Minister, Ben Bot, and a majority of Dutch elected officials are behind an appeal to Portugal to allow the Women on Waves floating abortuary access to port.
The abortion ship was denied entry into Portuguese sovereign waters Saturday, because of their intention to carry out chemical abortions on Portuguese women; elective abortion is illegal in the majority Catholic country. A Portuguese official said Saturday the country would resort to force if necessary to prevent the boat from entering their waters. The Dutch parliament held an emergency debate Wednesday, resulting in a majority consensus asking Bot to urge Portugal’s Foreign Minister Antonio Monteiro to reconsider the blockade. Monteiro agreed to talk the issue over with Portugal’s Prime Minister, Pedro Santana Lopes. Women on Waves was established to challenge the pro-life policies of regions where abortion continues to be illegal. It carries out RU-486 chemical abortions on women in international waters. The boat sailed to Ireland in 2001 and to Poland last year. Read Monday’s LifeSiteNews.com coverage: Portugal Forbids Entry of Dutch Abortion Boat https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/aug/04083002.html tv