Reggie Littlejohn, President of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, has joined forces with blind activist Chen Guangcheng, human rights activist Andrew Duncan, and China Aid President Bob Fu, in sending a letter to Apple President Tim Cook, concerning Apple products made in China.\u00a0 Reggie Littlejohn stated, “We are challenging Apple to assure customers that products made in China are not made in facilities that practice coercive family planning or stifle free speech.\u00a0 According to Apple\u2019s own 2012 internal investigation, 24 Apple facilities conducted pregnancy tests,\u00a0and 56 facilities did not have policies and\u00a0procedures that prohibit discriminatory\u00a0practices based on pregnancy.\u00a0 Apple says that it has required that these practices must stop.\u00a0 Apple, however,\u00a0 has been auditing its facilities since 2006.\u00a0 Why, then, is it still the case that pregnancy testing is reported as rampant? Either Apple\u2019s requirement that these practices must stop is new, or its policies to implement it are ineffectual.”<\/p>\n
Littlejohn continued, “We want to know what has happened to women at Apple factories when they have been found to be pregnant without a birth permit.\u00a0 Have they been referred for a forced abortion or involuntary sterilization?\u00a0 With the one child\/forced abortion law in place, how can Apple assure consumers that its products are made in facilities free of coercive population control?<\/p>\n
“We are also asking Apple to take the lead in endorsing our ‘Principles of Corporate Responsibility,’ in which multinational corporations will refuse to comply with coercive family planning practices at their facilities in China.”<\/p>\n
To date, the group has received no response from Apple.<\/p>\n
Bloomberg has written about this action challenging Apple:<\/p>\n
Apple Urged by China Dissident to Act Against One Child Rule<\/p>\n
http:\/\/washpost.bloomberg.com\/Story?docId=1376-M9UPQG6K50YC01-6KA31T5UB0QAGCMLLDB8N30G5G<\/p>\n
Below is the text of the original letter that went out to Tim Cook.\u00a0 Following that is the text of the “Principles for Corporate Social Responsibility in China Concerning Coercive Family Planning.”<\/p>\n
August 30, 2012<\/p>\n
SENT VIA EMAIL AND FAX<\/p>\n
Dear Mr. Cook,<\/p>\n
We write concerning Apple\u2019s business enterprise in China as it may intersect with Chinese human rights abuses perpetrated in the workplace \u2013 specifically, forced abortion and coercive family planning.<\/p>\n
As you may be aware, one of the signatories of this letter, blind forced abortion opponent Chen Guangcheng, escaped house arrest earlier this year in China and subsequently made his way to the United States Embassy in Beijing, and eventually was allowed to leave China to study law in the United States.\u00a0 Due to the persecution of his family who were left behind (including a trumped up murder charge against his nephew), Mr. Chen felt compelled to accept the invitation of United States lawmakers on August 1, 2012 to visit the U.S. Capitol.<\/p>\n
During that visit, Speaker of the House Boehner (later reaffirmed by House Minority Leader Pelosi) stated that it was time to “hold the Chinese government to account” on freedom of speech and the “reprehensible” one child\/forced abortion policy. Here is a link to these speeches:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cz54u93zLto&feature=player_embedded<\/a>.<\/p>\n That same day Mr Chen met with senior staff members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee along with Senators Kerry and Cornyn, who have both also taken a strong leadership position in support of Mr. Chen and Chinese human rights.<\/p>\n The bipartisan statement regarding “holding the Chinese government to account” was significant. Current United States foreign policy towards China has purposely separated human rights issues from economic issues. \u00a0China\u2019s human rights record has deteriorated.\u00a0 As reported in this New York Times article, Apple has been working to resolve human rights issues in connection with Foxconn (Hon Hai). http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/03\/30\/business\/apple-supplier-in-china-pledges-changes-in-working-conditions.html?pagewanted=all<\/a><\/p>\n Human rights can no longer be separated from economic issues.\u00a0 With China\u2019s current economic slow-down and a major transition in senior leadership on the horizon, we believe that we are entering a window of opportunity to have a positive impact on human rights.\u00a0 With Congressional leadership support, the policy of separating our economic relationship from human rights in China must change.<\/p>\n As you know from Apple\u2019s own internal investigation, \u201c24 [Apple] facilities conducted pregnancy tests,\u00a0and 56 facilities did not have policies and\u00a0procedures that prohibit discriminatory\u00a0practices based on pregnancy.\u201d<\/p>\n http:\/\/images.apple.com\/supplierresponsibility\/pdf\/Apple_SR_2012_Progress_Report.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n Apple\u2019s response states that the company has required that these practices must stop. \u00a0According to the New York Times report above, Apple has been auditing its facilities since 2006.\u00a0 Why, then, is it still the case that pregnancy testing is reported as rampant in Apple\u2019s 2012 Supplier Responsibility Progress Report? Either Apple\u2019s requirement that these practices must stop is new, or its policies to implement it are ineffectual.<\/p>\n When women are found to be pregnant without a birth permit, are they referred for a forced abortion?\u00a0 With the one child\/forced abortion law in place, how can Apple assure consumers that its products are made in facilities free of coercive population control? No matter what one’s personal view is on abortion –forced abortion is unacceptable.<\/p>\n Below is an excerpt from the September 22, 2011 Congressional testimony of Liu Ping, who was the victim of forced abortion at the hands of the Family Planning Commission in her factory:<\/p>\n My factory\u2019s Family Planning Commission used three levels of control:\u00a0 at the factory level, in the factory clinic and on the factory floor. There was a system of\u00a0 collective punishment: if one worker violated the rules, all would be punished. Workers monitored each other. Women of reproductive age accounted for 60% of my factory floor.\u00a0 Colleagues were suspicious and hostile to each other because of the One-Child Policy. Two of my pregnancies were reported by my colleagues to the Family Planning Commission.\u00a0 When discovered, pregnant women would be dragged to undergo forced abortions\u2014there simply was no other choice. We had no dignity as potential child-bearers. By order of the factory\u2019s Family Planning Commission, every month during their menstrual period, women had to undress in front of the birth planning doctor for examination. If anyone skipped the examination, she would be forced to take a pregnancy test at the hospital. We were allowed to collect a salary only after it was confirmed that we were not pregnant.<\/em><\/p>\n We are concerned that such practices may still be in force at Chinese factories today, including factories owned by multinationals. We are sure that Apple would be appalled to learn that anything like this could happen at an Apple facility.\u00a0 Since dozens of Apple facilities have required pregnancy testing, however, it is a legitimate concern that they may also have been complicit with forced abortion under the One Child Policy, as described in Ms. Liu\u2019s shocking testimony.\u00a0 Would Apple allow an outside group to investigate whether coercive family planning occurs at Apple facilities?<\/p>\n As reported by this USA Today cover story, the One Child Policy continues to be enforced. This policy goes against a woman\u2019s fundamental human right to choose to give birth to a child.\u00a0 Forced abortion is official government rape.\u00a0 It is a form of torture.<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/NEWS\/usaedition\/2012-07-25-China-abortionART_CV_U.htm<\/a><\/p>\n Additionally, freedom of speech is not allowed in China. Apple’s distinguished Board of Directors includes former Vice President Al Gore, a Nobel Peace Prize winner. While Apple makes millions of iPhones and iPads in China, Mr. Gore’s fellow Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Liu Xiaobo, remains imprisoned. His chair remains empty in Oslo for only having exercised his fundamental right to free speech. \u00a0Similarly, Chen Guangcheng was jailed, tortured and denied medical treatment for years because he exposed the massive, systematic use of forced abortion and sterilization in Linyi City under the One Child Policy. \u00a0It is a striking irony that your great products promote free speech while being manufactured in a nation that suppresses free speech.<\/p>\n Pursuant to Speaker Boehner\u2019s bipartisan comments, we, as signatories, are committed to assisting the United States Congress in working to “hold China to account.” Our effort is focused on how to insure accountability without penalizing shareholder interests of any United States corporations. We are also committed to\u00a0future consumer education efforts if necessary \u2013 informing the world about the potential complicity of U.S. and other foreign corporations in coercive population control in China.<\/p>\n We invite Apple to champion this cause.\u00a0 Here is what we ask:<\/p>\n 1)\u00a0 Apple is in a unique position to take a leadership role in standing up against coercive family planning in China.\u00a0 Attached are our Principles for Corporate Social Responsibility in China Concerning Coercive Family Planning. \u00a0We ask that Apple endorse them.\u00a0 Apple\u2019s endorsement will have a major impact on ending coercive family planning in China, sending a message to the Chinese Communist Party, other American businesses, and the world, that Apple will not comply with violent population control.<\/p>\n 2)\u00a0 We ask that Apple would leverage its clout to demand that China release Liu Xiaobo; ratify into law the\u00a0International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which establishes an array of human rights, including freedom of expression (Article 19); and end forced abortion and other coercive population control, within three months of the date of the demand.<\/p>\n 3)\u00a0 Should the Chinese government fail timely to agree with respect to Apple\u2019s demands,\u00a0 we request that Apple would agree to draw up a plan to withdraw manufacturing of all Apple products from China.\u00a0 This courageous act by Apple on behalf of the many people who are suffering horrific human rights abuses would have an incalculable impact to further the cause of human rights in China.\u00a0 We will call upon other U.S. companies to follow.\u00a0 As the world\u2019s most valuable company, and as one that has profited much from the hard labor of the Chinese people, this could be Apple\u2019s legacy to the Chinese people and to the world.<\/p>\n 4)\u00a0 In September, we are going to work with members of Congress to secure a bill that would allow Apple a one time waiver to repatriate tax-free the over $74 billion in Apple profits currently in off-shore accounts. Based on the current effective tax rate, this would provide Apple and its shareholders with over a $25 billion windfall for simply doing the right thing.\u00a0\u00a0 Should this bill pass, we ask that Apple would repatriate these off-shore profits.<\/p>\n Some key members of Congress from both parties have already agreed to support our efforts next month.\u00a0\u00a0 As demonstrated at Chen Guangcheng\u2019s August 1 press conference, we have bipartisan support from influential members of Congress as it pertains to Chinese human rights. Our effort now is to assist Congress in implementing their stated goal of\u00a0 \u201cholding China to account.\u201d As the world’s most valuable company, Apple has a unique opportunity to demonstrate corporate global leadership.<\/p>\n We would deeply appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss Apple\u2019s position on our proposal and human rights policies as they pertain to China.\u00a0 We respectfully request you to watch the following video:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JjtuBcJUsjY<\/a><\/p>\n Thank you in advance for your consideration.<\/p>\n Very truly yours,<\/p>\n Andrew Duncan, Human Rights Advocate<\/p>\n Chen Guangcheng, Blind human rights lawyer and former prisoner<\/p>\n Bob Fu, President, China Aid Association<\/p>\n Reggie Littlejohn, President, Women\u2019s Rights Without Frontiers<\/p>\n Principles for Corporate Social Responsibility in China <\/strong><\/p>\n Concerning Coercive Family Planning<\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n The Principles:<\/p>\n As a company that voluntarily endorses the Principles for Corporate Social Responsibility in China Concerning Coercive Family Planning (\u201cPrinciples\u201d), we pledge to apply these Principles in conducting our business in China. We will design and deploy a corporate code of conduct, including policies, procedures, training and internal reporting structures to ensure adherence to these Principles when conducting business in China. We believe the application of these Principles will achieve greater equality for women and avoid complicity with violence against our female employees, perpetrated in connection with our enterprise in China. (2) Prohibit the presence of any Family Planning Personnel on the premises of our businesses; prohibit any access of Family Planning Police or other Family Planning Officials to the employees of our businesses; refuse to issue any report or allow the creation of any report concerning the fertility or reproductive status concerning any employee or group of employees of our businesses.<\/p>\n (3) Refuse to allow on our premises or elsewhere in connection with our employees:<\/p>\n (4) Refuse to report, or allow to be reported, women who are pregnant without birth permits or who have otherwise violated family planning laws in China.<\/p>\n (5) Communicate with the Government of the People’s Republic of China to urge that Government to end forced abortion, forced sterilization, forced contraception and any other form of coercive family planning in China.<\/p>\n (6) Report and otherwise collaborate in the prosecution or holding accountable of any Chinese national who attempts to practice coercive family planning against any employee of our company, whether this coercion takes place on or off premises.<\/p>\n We will be transparent in our implementation of these principles and provide information that demonstrates publicly our commitment to them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Reggie Littlejohn, President of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, has joined forces with blind activist Chen Guangcheng, human rights activist Andrew Duncan, and China Aid President Bob Fu, in sending a letter to Apple President Tim Cook, concerning Apple products made … Continue reading
\nAccordingly, we will:
\n(1) Refuse to practice, collaborate with or tolerate any aspect of coercive family planning on our premises or in connection with our employees, whether on or off premises.<\/p>\n\n