In the wake of China’s devastating earthquake, the one-child policy limiting “legal” births has apparently been relaxed for couples whose kids were killed, disabled or severely hurt, according to the AP. How generous (insert sarcasm) of the People’s Republic:

“Those families can obtain a certificate to have another child, the Chengdu Population and Family Planning Committee in the capital of hard-hit Sichuan province said.”

China’s suddenly having a heart? Not so quickly.

“…Chinese couples who have more than one child are commonly punished by fines. The announcement says that if a child born illegally was killed in the quake, the parents will no longer have to pay fines for that child — but the previously paid fines won’t be refunded.


If the couple’s legally born child is killed and the couple is left with an illegally born child under the age of 18, that child can be registered as the legal child — an important move that gives the child previously denied rights including free nine years of compulsory education.”

Of course, this matters little for parents past child-bearing age or left unable to care for a new child financially after losing everything.

This whole story just turns my stomach. I am an opponent of the one-child policy to begin with, as I believe it gravely violates basic human reproductive rights. But to see in action how a government can exercise such control over human beings, then act like they’re doing them a favor when they amend the policy as reported above. I also caught the subtext in the PRC allowing an additional kid for those whose children are gravely injured or disabled: that somehow those lives aren’t as important anymore, like they don’t equal a whole human being.

(Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)