Hu Wei and Xu Chuanzhen have to keep a close watch on their
six-year-old son Hu Youshuang in the southwestern province of Sichuan at all times as he suffers from
cerebral palsy. The strain has become so much that they recently
pleaded with doctors to euthanize him, states an article on Sichuan
Online at scol.com.cn.
The family is heavily in debt from medical bills and living
under incredible stress. Cerebral palsy is a group of permanent
disorders associated with developmental brain injuries that occur
during fetal development, birth or shortly after birth. It's
characterized by a disruption in motor skills, paralysis and
seizures.
"We've gone through lots of medical books on the disease. We
learned that it's caused by irreversible brain damage. There's no
cure," the couple told Sichuan Online. "It's a misery for us and
him."
Euthanasia is not legal in China and many believe it to be
against traditional Chinese concepts of morality. According to the
country's laws euthanasia is equivalent to murder.
"The couple is not legally allowed to appeal for euthanasia for
their child no matter how convincing their reasons are. They could
resort to help from society or communities to relieve their
difficulties," said Guo Gang, a lawyer. The boy's right to life was
protected by law and nobody was authorized to deprive him of it,
explained the lawyer.
After the Netherlands legalized euthanasia in 2002 several
countries followed suit. The issue remains controversial in many
others.
Decades-old debate and controversy over
euthanasia
The euthanasia debate has been alive in China for two decades
and the plight of Hu's parents highlights a controversial issue in
the country where the laws governing euthanasia are not yet clearly
defined.?
A native to northwestern Shanxi Province, Wang Mingcheng, entered the
euthanasia debate when he was involved in China's first official
case of euthanasia -- often referred to as "mercy killing," in
1986.
After their mother was diagnosed with terminal, severe liver
cirrhosis and advanced ascites, Wang, then 32, and one of his
sisters pleaded with doctors to give Xia Suwen a lethal injection.
Wang and the principal physician, Pu Liansheng, were convicted of
murder in September 1987.
On April 6, 1991 Wang and Pu were granted a reprieve by the
local Hanzhong People's Court ruling that as there were no laws
dealing specifically with euthanasia the decision required
consideration. Wang died from stomach cancer in 2003. When he asked
for help to end his life his request was rejected.
In 1988 Yan Renying, a deputy to the National People's Congress
(NPC),?wrote in a motion to the 7th NPC
that as life and death were both natural it was understandable that
people with terminal illnesses? wanted to die legally rather
than suffer a slow and painful death.
According to a 2003 poll on euthanasia conducted by Shaohai
Market Investigation Co Ltd, 64.8 percent of respondents in Beijing
accepted the controversial practice and believed the time was right
for China to legalize it.
Qiu Renzong, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences, said that legislation shouldn't occur until all the
issues surrounding the subject had been addressed.
Chen Xingliang, a professor at the Peking University's Law
School, said it wasn't yet time to legalize euthanasia in
China.
"This is because, at the moment, it's hard to identify under
what conditions euthanasia should be adopted," he said, suggesting
that once legalized, euthanasia could be used as a means of
murder.
"We must be cautious because it involves human life."
(China Daily February 8, 2007)