Diplomatic crisis: Chinese pro-life dissident flees to US Embassy – What will Obama do?
It was the top story on Drudge yesterday morning and is making world headlines today.
Word has come out that Chinese pro-life dissident Chen Guangcheng made a daring escape under the cloak of darkness on April 22 to the U.S. embassy in Beijing, where he is now holed up. Chen was previously imprisoned for four years and was currently under house arrest for exposing China’s forced sterilization and abortion atrocities.
The renewed attention to China’s forced one-child policy is certainly an embarrassment to its government. Recall last December actor Christian Bale also brought attention to Chen after being blocked by goons while trying to visit him.
And the timing of Chen’s flight is inconvenient for ours, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner scheduled to travel to China later this week for diplomatic talks on the economy.
This stuff of movies has a subplot, since President Barack Obama and Clinton are both avid abortion supporters.
How uncomfortable for the Obama administration this incident must be, since it ultimately results in a clash of values, pitting political diplomacy against human rights violations of pregnant mothers and their babies. The last thing they want to do is become actively involved in China’s abortion policy.
While Clinton and the State Department have repeatedly called for Chen’s release, they will now have to move beyond talking the talk to walking the walk. Recall Clinton also said in 2009, “But our pressing on [human rights] issues can’t interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crises.”
Also recall pro-abortion Vice President Joe Biden infamously told the Chinese last August, “Your policy has been one which I fully understand – I’m not second-guessing – of one child per family.”
So we know where the Obama administration ultimately stands. Global warming ranks higher than forced abortions. But Chen’s seeking refuge from the U.S. is something they can’t ignore. The world is now watching.
Presidential politics are now also at play, with Republican candidate Mitt Romney calling on Obama to “take every measure” to protect Chen. What will Americans think if pragmatic Obama does what he really wants to do and return Chen to the Communist regime?
Thus, once again abortion has taken center stage, as much as liberals and the mainstream media would like to make it go away. (The Washington Examiner’s Timothy Carney notes in a piece today that WashPo totally bypassed what exactly makes Chen a dissident in a 1300 word story today, as do other news reports.)
In December 2011 Chen’s horrific field notes (link down at present/site sabotage suspected) were entered into the record at a Congressional hearing about China’s forced sterilization and abortion atrocities.
But the atrocities allegedly continue. Last month another dissident managed to post a photo and story of a full-term baby who was aborted alive and drowned in a bucket of water….
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
If they turn him over to the Chinese, I don’t think he will live very much longer. He is too visible, too attention-grabbing. When he’s got the attention of Christian Bale enough that he is willing to make headlines trying to meet the guy, that makes him dangerous. The Chinese government can not tolerate his continued existence, and if given the opportunity to end it, I believe they’ll take it. Which leaves Chen’s life dependent on Obama’s willingness to do the right thing. What a thin thread.
I hope that the US offers asylum to him and his wife and child. The US can do it if they want – and since he was a prisoner he should be allowed asylum. The NBC news last night never mentioned what kind of activist, of course. Where is Amnesty International now? Human rights’ groups? Anyone beyond the pro-life community? I hope Christian Bale, the media and others keep the focus up and prompt our government to do the right thing. Pray!
I hope he gets asylum.
That picture is really, really, heartbreaking and disturbing and that’s obviously not a “blob” in there.
If the US abandons him, and he is re-arrested by the Chinese, he will not be hurt for the world to see. He would mysteriously disappear like the Panchen Lama and his family did years ago.
Sadly, Obama will abort him.
And the other (sad) thing is, if he IS granted asylum…
The killing will continue without him :(
Since WRWF is down, here’s some Google-cached copies:
Link to the website
Reggie Littlejohn’s testimony (PDF)
The Chen Guangcheng Report (PDF)
Hillary Clinton was implicated in the murder of her husband then-President’s former White House cabinet attorney Vince Foster. Therefore I do not trust her, nor her “humanitarian” diplomatic visit to China on Thursday. I fear greatly for Chen’s safety. Pray hard brethren that as the ruthlessly clever and cunningly vapid Pro-Abort that Hillary Clinton is, that would stop at nothing to quelch a Pro-Lifer and smooth her visit to China by having her hand in Chen’s “untimely death”.
WWPPD?
(What Would Planned Parenthood Do?)
Catholic Carol, the Vince Foster allegations were nothing but right wing drivel.
Nevertheless, his prolife stances should have nothing to do with what happens to him.
The fact that this is even considered a “crisis” paints a very condemning picture of the administration.
No, Chen’s escape to the US embassy should have ended the crisis, not started it.
I expect mr. bo-jangles will beg the Chicoms be patient and allow him to wait til after the election before he betrays Chen.
In the interim, Chen could perform a job at the U. S. Embassy that Americans won’t do and register to vote as a democRAT.
Chen should follow mr. bo-jangles lead and fabricate his own birth certificate from Mexico or a Central American country.
Chen should learn to speak Spanish and start with the phrase, “No habla ingles.”
Those things should ensure an extended stay.
Those of us who place a premium on life, liberty and pursuit of happiness should fast and pray for Chen and his family.
Hopefully Chen and his family are doing the same for us.
It is Chen’s good fortune that the timing of his asylum request is during this presidential campaign. Increased scrutiny is on the administration to behave as though they had conviction and heart, and with Romney calling for his protection that has to help. Nevertheless we cannot be certain that Obama/Hillary will do the right thing…and that we have this fear is chilling.
Jerry, you’re right. The timing’s wrong for Obama to ignore this one man, as he did the many in Iran and Syria.
What, no abortion defenders to respond to the picture and tell us why we need abortion so badly?
Oh, my aching heart. That baby deserved better. She could have been any one of us. :(
Chen’s story is motivating me to do more. I hope he is able to live in freedom, and all of his family and friends with him. I couldn’t care a fig about our Pres’ image and how this sits with diplomacy based on avoiding the elephant in the living room. Do the right thing, and diplomatic history will reflect that.
The Democrats policy on life is to support Planned Parenthood and Planned Parenthoods policy Planned Parenthood’s founder Margaret Sanger espoused the idea eugenics and forcing population control on citizens is a good thing for a society. This should be an opportunity for America to stand with the Chinese citizens and speak out forcefully against the one child policy. But instead we have Obama bowing; Biden going to China and telling the people he understands their one child policy and wouldn’t second guess it and Hillary avoiding the subject all together whenever she visits China. God we need to replace the three of them.
I saw an Assoc Press story on the Fox News web site this morning that actually said “Chen, a well-known dissident who angered authorities in rural China by exposing forced abortions…” and “A self-taught lawyer blinded by fever in infancy, Chen served four years in prison on what activists say were trumped-up charges after exposing forced abortions and sterilizations in his and surrounding villages.” That was the first mention I had seen (other than Pro-Life sites) that mentioned the subject of his activism.
Praying for Mr. Obama to do the right thing and grant this man asylum in the United States. Done deal …
A bit off topic here, but boy, what a great candidate for the Time 100…