arcticpenguin
23rd March 2003, 01:55 PM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2877039.stm
Police in south-western China have discovered 28 baby girls packed into nylon suitcases and stacked on the luggage rack of a long-distance bus.
...
"It's possible the parents gave the babies away. Family planning policy is very strict and they probably had exceeded their birth limit and wanted to give the babies away to avoid fines," the officer said.
"Perhaps some of them were born to unwed mothers or migrant workers."
Child smuggling is a grave problem in China, with cases regularly reported. Babies may be sold to families with few or no children.
And in a country where boys are traditionally valued over girls, older girls or women may be sold to poor farmers as brides, or to men in provinces with few women.
Police in south-western China have discovered 28 baby girls packed into nylon suitcases and stacked on the luggage rack of a long-distance bus.
...
"It's possible the parents gave the babies away. Family planning policy is very strict and they probably had exceeded their birth limit and wanted to give the babies away to avoid fines," the officer said.
"Perhaps some of them were born to unwed mothers or migrant workers."
Child smuggling is a grave problem in China, with cases regularly reported. Babies may be sold to families with few or no children.
And in a country where boys are traditionally valued over girls, older girls or women may be sold to poor farmers as brides, or to men in provinces with few women.