Law prof agrees to ease up on one-child policy

(Ecns.cn) -- Yang Zhizhu, associate professor of law at China Youth University of Political Science, has gone back to work at the school after being sacked two years ago for having more than one child, reports the Southern Metropolis Weekly.

But his new post comes with conditions: he must no longer conduct research related to the country's family planning policy, and he is not allowed to give lectures.

In the last two years Yang wrote numerous essays against the one-child policy and even initiated protests against it. Now, some claim he has been given an easier and higher-paying job to soften his tone toward the policy.

Yang had already received interesting news earlier this month: a Beijing household registration, or hukou, had been issued to his once-illegal second daughter, allowing her access to public services such as education and healthcare. However, the move came only after an involuntarily transfer of funds from his wife's bank account by local authorities last month.

Refusal to pay, funds taken

On December 21, 2009, Yang's wife Chen Hong gave birth to their second child. The very same day, university officials announced guidelines outlining punishment for employees who contravened the city's family planning regulations.

For his offense, Yang was asked to pay a "social upbringing fee" of 240,642 yuan (US$37,780) and then dismissed from his job in April 2010.

Yang, who had long been a vocal opponent of the family planning policy, initially refused to pay. Things suddenly took a turn this year, however, when his wife's bank account was frozen and a large sum of money was transferred out of it.

The debit took place after Yang lost a lawsuit against Beijing's Haidian District Population and Family Planning Commission. In response, Yang launched a fundraising activity online, from which he received donations of more than 110,000 yuan (US$17,270) in one week.

Giving in?

Yang had refused to meet with officials from his neighborhood committee and university the day before authorities took the "social upbringing fee."

His attorney eventually persuaded Yang to hear them out. Yang said the officials met him mainly because they hoped he would pay the fees and things would go back to normal. Despite offers of favorable treatment, Yang still refused.

But after forcibly taking his money, family planning authorities changed their attitude toward him and his family, Yang said.

Officials from the Haidian District Population and Family Planning Commission sent a notice to Yang in person. They politely reminded him that he could apply for his second daughter's hukou using the receipt from the bank transfer they had carried out without his permission.

Public reaction

On June 5, Yang posted on his microblog that he could finally return to the university after dealing with so many obstacles. Most netizens were happy about the news; others suspected that Yang might have been offered "amnesty" for accepting certain conditions, and were disappointed by his "cowardice."

Yang responded that his previous protests against the one-child policy were by no means a rebellion, but only the voice of an ordinary citizen calling for change. He said he had no desire for the fight to end in tragedy.

Yang said he has been given a research post this time and understands the university's intention – to stop him from protesting and writing essays criticizing the city's family planning regulations.

It is understandable, and the research post means a higher salary and more flexible working hours, said Yang. He also said he will not carry out extreme activities in the future, but will continue to call for a revision of the regulations.

Currently in Beijing, a second child is acceptable if both parents are single children themselves, or if the first child is born disabled. The family planning policy also varies according to region; residents in some rural and remote areas may have a second child if the first child is a daughter, for example.

Although Yang does not think the one-child policy will end completely any time soon, he still believes the policy will eventually be loosened for different reasons.

This month Yang finished a 300,000-word book tentatively named "Laid-off Associate Professor Talking about Population Problem and Reproductive Rights." He plans to publish it, if the government allows.