Editing Compulsory sterilization (section)

===China===
{{See also|One-child policy|Two-child policy}}

In 1978, Chinese authorities became concerned with the possibility of a baby boom that the country could not handle, and they initialized the [[one-child policy]]. In order to effectively deal with the complex issues surrounding childbirth, the Chinese government placed great emphasis on family planning. Because this was such an important matter, the government thought it needed to be standardized, and so to this end laws were introduced in 2002.<ref name="Amnesty International">{{Cite news | title=Thousands at risk of forced sterilization in China | date=22 April 2010 | access-date=9 April 2012 | publisher=[[Amnesty International]] | url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/thousands-risk-forced-sterilization-china-2010-04-22 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314193515/http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/thousands-risk-forced-sterilization-china-2010-04-22 | archive-date=14 March 2012 }}</ref> These laws uphold the basic tenets of what was previously put into practice, outlining the rights of the individuals and outlining what the Chinese government can and cannot do to enforce policy.

However, accusations have been raised from groups such as [[Amnesty International]], who have claimed that practices of compulsory sterilization have been occurring for people who have already reached their one child quota.<ref name="Amnesty International" /> These practices run contrary to the stated principles of the law, and seem to differ on a local level.

The Chinese government appears to be aware of these discrepancies in policy implementation on a local level. For example, The National Population and Family Planning Commission put forth in a statement that, "Some persons concerned in a few counties and townships of Linyi did commit practices that violated law and infringed upon legitimate rights and interests of citizens while conducting family planning work." This statement comes in reference to some charges of forced sterilization and abortions in Linyi city of Shandong Province.<ref>{{Cite news | title=China acts on forced abortion | date=20 September 2005 | access-date=9 April 2012 | publisher=BBC | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4262890.stm | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210000256/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4262890.stm | archive-date=10 February 2009 }}</ref>

The policy requires a "social compensation fee" for those who have more than the legal number of children. According to Forbes editor Heng Shao, critics claims this fee is a toll on the poor but not the rich.<ref>Enforcement of One-Child Policy Targets 'The Rich and Famous' in Zhangzhou, China, ''[[Forbes]]'', 20 September 2013. {{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/hengshao/2013/09/20/enforcement-of-one-child-policy-targets-the-rich-and-famous-in-zhangzhou-china/ |title=Enforcement of One-Child Policy Targets 'The Rich and Famous' in Zhangzhou, China |website=[[Forbes]] |access-date=2017-09-29 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909011431/https://www.forbes.com/sites/hengshao/2013/09/20/enforcement-of-one-child-policy-targets-the-rich-and-famous-in-zhangzhou-china/ |archive-date=2017-09-09 }}</ref> But after 2016, the country has allowed parents to give birth to [[Two-child policy|two children]]. In 2017, the government offered to surgically remove the IUDs that had been implanted in women to force them to adhere to the one child policy, if they qualified to have a second child. The removal of these long used IUDs is a major surgery and many women are not informed of the risks that are associated with the surgery, such as bleeding, infection, and removal of the uterus.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web|date=2020-07-21|title=Neo-Malthusianism and Coercive Population Control in China and India: Overpopulation Concerns Often Result in Coercion|url=https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/neo-malthusianism-coercive-population-control-china-india-overpopulation-concerns|access-date=2021-04-09|website=Cato Institute|language=en}}</ref>

==== Xinjiang ====
Beginning in 2019, reports of forced sterilization in [[Xinjiang]] began to surface.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Stavrou|first=David|date=17 October 2019|title=A Million People Are Jailed at China's Gulags. I Managed to Escape. Here's What Really Goes on Inside|work=[[Haaretz]]|url=https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-a-million-people-are-jailed-at-china-s-gulags-i-escaped-here-s-what-goes-on-inside-1.7994216|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Handley|first=Erin|date=23 September 2019|title='Deeply disturbing' footage surfaces of blindfolded Uyghurs at train station in Xinjiang|work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-23/video-uyghurs-shaved-blindfolded-xinjiang-train-station-china/11537628|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Fifield|first=Anna|date=28 November 2019|title=TikTok's owner is helping China's campaign of repression in Xinjiang, report finds|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/tiktoks-owner-is-helping-chinas-campaign-of-repression-in-xinjiang-report-finds/2019/11/28/98e8d9e4-119f-11ea-bf62-eadd5d11f559_story.html|access-date=}}</ref> In 2020, public reporting continued to indicate that large-scale compulsory sterilization was being carried out.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web|date=2020-06-29|title=China cuts Uighur births with IUDs, abortion, sterilization|url=https://apnews.com/269b3de1af34e17c1941a514f78d764c|access-date=2020-07-01|website=Associated Press}}</ref><ref name=":15">{{Cite web|title=Pompeo calls report of forced sterilisation of Uighurs 'shocking'|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/pompeo-calls-shocking-report-forced-sterilisation-uighurs-200629215350131.html|access-date=2020-08-11|website=www.aljazeera.com}}</ref> While national sterilization rates have fallen since the passing of the two child policy in 2016, there has been a sharp increase in the amount of sterilizations in Xinjiang.<ref name=":19">{{Cite web|date=2020-07-21|title=Uyghur Genocide Shows Urgency of Combating Neo-Malthusianism|url=https://www.cato.org/blog/uyghur-genocide-shows-urgency-combatting-neo-malthusianism|access-date=2021-04-09|website=Cato Institute|language=en}}</ref> Many of these surgeries have been forced according to reports, but this is difficult to confirm due to the closed off nature of the area.<ref name=":19" />  These measures have sometimes been characterised as part of an ongoing [[Persecution of Uyghurs in China|Uyghur genocide]] in the province.