More on the Hunan Baby Trafficking
This story terrifies me.
On the one hand, it is my understanding that the $3,000 donation has to be well accounted for. It must be used for capital improvements and cannot be used for things like formula and diapers. The CCAA puts a lot of demands on the way this money is used, so I find it hard to believe that this money is misused.
On the other hand, the orphanages receive money from the government based on how many kids they have in them. And that money is not watched over as extensively - as long as the kids have food and clothes then apparently no one questions how the money is being spent. So, I can see that this money could be misused.
I saw a lot of half truths in this story, which saddens me. Many people will read it as truth.
I also saw a lot of truths that are troubling. One of the reasons I chose China was because in this country there was no doubt the babies were abandoned and now need homes. Now there is a little bit of doubt. And that is terrifying to me.
I wish China had been more open with the investigation and the trial. Secrecy just makes it worse.
posted by RumorQueen at 3/12/2006 10:32:00 AM
16 Comments:
Oh, ISO,
I had told myself I wouldn't bug you anymore, but I feel I might be of some help to you here.
I happen to be the mother of a child from the very SWI whose director was sentenced to one year in prison. This man, and his deputy chief, are now on the run.
As you can imagine, there has been a LOT of discussion on the board for parents with children from this SWI. Someone actually contacted the NPR reporter who sat in on the trial. The reporter (Anthony Kuhn, by name) told this person, via email, that what surfaced at trial, but what was NOT reported, is that the evidence strongly indicates that these transactions were to "work" the books. It is highly unlikely, from the evidence presented at trial, that any of the children were kidnapped, although it is probable that some of the kids adopted through that SWI actually were born in Guangdong province, not Hunan province, and money did change hands in delivering them from Guangdong to Hunan. But they were all children who would have been "left to be found" one way or another.
It still sad, of course, but it's less horrifying to me to think think of those kids being shuffled around to get money than to think of them being abducted from their parents.
Cheers,
Anon2
more on the story at
http://research-china.blogspot.com/
scroll to Feb.27
Hi again Anon2,
I, too, have read the same thing, that it appears that there was some shuffling around of babies that put money where maybe some money shouldn't have gone, but that it didn't appear that any of the babies were actually kidnapped. And this makes sense to me, moving babies around so they can be adopted, and handing off some of the money in the process.
Then I see the story of the family who had their daughter abducted. And I think, well, what happened to THAT baby. Then I think that maybe they are just saying she was kidnapped, so they wouldn't have to answer questions about what happened to her, and so they could then try for a boy. But that just sounds so... horrible, to even think... to question this grieving family's story.
So, in the end, I just wish China had shut the story down. The secrecy makes it worse.
When my daughter is grown.. will she prefer to think she was kidnapped or abandoned? Will this story give her reason to think maybe it was the former instead of the latter?
Correction, I just wish China had NOT shut the story down.
These reports are very difficult to read. But, the truth is that we adopted our children from a communist country where freedom of speech, religion and all the other freedoms we have are just not there.
The truth is we will probably never really know what has taken place. We adopted from China because we thought that the corruption that was occuring in other countries wasn't happening in China.
What upsets me so in all of this is that children suffer.
My apologies, ISO,
I just clicked on the link and saw that there was a new article. I thought you were blogging about the convictions in Changsha, news of which is about ten days old.
I knew from Anthony Kuhn, the NPR reporter, that this Washington Post reporter was lurking about, getting ready to publish a story. I didn't expect it so soon.
I think the Post reporter implies that the fate of these abducted kids in his story was that they wound up in Hengyang, and I don't think that inference can properly be drawn, necessarily. Anthony Kuhn, after all, was the only Western reporter present at the trial of the Guangdong/Hunan traffickers, and he stated pretty strongly that evidence came out at trial that none of those kids was abducted.
All that, I'm afraid, is rather beside the larger point, which is that these things, to everyone's horror, do go on. My husband just wonders to what extent we unwittingly contribute to the whole horrifying phenomenon by creating a "market," if you will. He suggested we consider switching countries, but frankly, this pales in comparison to some of the stories I've heard about having to pay people off frankly in Ukraine, Russia and yes, even Guatemala. This sort of thing was exactly the reason Cambodia and Vietnam were both closed to adoption. There was a Sunday magazine feature in the NYT a few years ago about poor peasant women in Cambodia being tricked out of their babies, who were then sold to the highest bidder. [Vietnam has since cleaned up its act and reopened.]
I, for one, am printing this article and putting it away in a large (and ever-expanding) file of things to haul out and show my daughter (or daughters, assuming the second one ever happens) when they are are old enough.
Cheers,
Anon2
Oh, yes, and I meant to add that I agree with you. The secrecy should be jettisoned. But we live in a culture where we've been spoon-fed the principle of free speech. The Chinese government doesn't see it our way. It's all about information control.
Yours,
Anon2
Do not fool yourself. The only differenct between here and China is that China openly tells you that they are hiding things from you.
This is insane. My dossier was logged in on November 23rd, but I am highly considering a change to another program. I know there is always a concern when you are dealing with foreign governments, but this whole mess does not sound good at all. Ovbiously the need for families is not as great as they once told us. If it was there would be no need to buy or kidnap children.
To the previous anonymous, when you find a international (outside the U.S.A.) adoption program that is 100% guaranteed to be absolutely free from *ANY* corruption, please let us all know.
In the meantime, I'm keeping my dossier in China.
To the previous anonymous, calm down. No one is saying that China is alone in this. The story is obviously upsetting.
I agree with the above anonymous;
Our dossier will stay in China.
This is the media we're talking about here. Their tatics for sensationalizm are well known. Looks like fear-mongering has seeped into our adoption world as well as everything else we get shoved at us. We're going to have to choose what we will or will not believe.
I am not staying I don't believe it's not ever happened, but I am very doubtful that the author of this piece is as well versed on Int'l Adoption as he'd have us believe. This makes a good story. Perhaps the kind that will get so much attention that it is just what he needs to further his career?! His name is Peter Goodman, and you can bet I will be doing some research of my own into his background...
My hope is that this does not get so blown up, that the CCAA would do something drastic at this kind of press.
Holly
You can be sure that the government has covered up some of the story. I am also considering a change to domestic adoption as a result of this story.
we have two daughters from China. The thing that bothers me about the tone of the article is that it throws all the adoptions from China into a gray area and I don't believe that's the case at all. That these corrupt things are happening, I don't doubt at all, but as the director of our agency says, there are plenty of babies who arrive at the orphanage from true abandonment, and as those of us who have visited orphanages can attest, the staff have so much to do with the babies they have, why would the majority of them want or need to pay to have more to care for????
virginia
As the parent of a child adopted from China, I am shocked and saddened by this article. I am not denying the corruption cited -- as we all know, it happens, even in our own fine country. And it is something that needs to be addressed. But to put such a scare into prospective parents, so that they abandon the idea of international adoption, is ultimately cruel to those children in need of a home. While there is never a guarantee, the key is to do your homework and utilize a reputable adoption agency here in the states; one that specializes in adoptions from the country of choice (US or abroad).
We personally had no other option but adoption to start our family, and investigated both domestic and international adoption. I've personally heard many horror stories of people who have sponsored a US birth mother through the pregnancy, only to have her change her mind at birth. And countless others of parents changing their mind within the "trial" window. Until our country starts favoring on the side of the children (and not the parents), I will continue to adopt from China.
Lastly, I don't appreciate the implication made in the article that a checkbook was all we needed to adopt; we went through a very rigorous process of background checks, social worker visits, etc. before we were deemed an acceptable family by the CCAA.
We all feel the horror of these stories. I have one daughter from China and am waiting for the referral of another. I also have two biological sons and I can only imagine the pain that has been caused to families that have had children abducted from them. But I do beleive the reality is that corruption occurs in every country in the world, pick up any newspaper in America or turn on any news show it is obvious that we are not immune to this corruption. In a country like China where many people are earning less in a year than my son son can make working as a referree in one soccer season unfortunately the large amounts of money that change hands in adoptions provides a temptation that can be too great for some. I do believe that most of the children involved where not abducted but where used for the monetary gain of some individuals. My heart breaks for the few families that truely had thier children taken from them, I can only begin to imagine the pain they must endure. But I do not feel that abandoning China's many children who do need and deserve forever familes would be the answer. That would not reunite the lost children to their parents and would only serve to punish innocent children. I believe that the by the US continuing to require strict guidelines for adoptive parents and foreign coutries I think we will see more cases of corruption but this will hopefully work towards a safer future for all China's precious children.
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