United in grief, farmers lament loss of children 'stolen' by officials

Dozens of farmers in Gaoping county, Hunan province, have accused family planning officials of stealing 12 unregistered children over the past four years and demanding ransoms for their return.

But county officials say the children were taken in accordance with national policy and the villagers voluntarily gave them up.

About 60 residents have signed a petition insisting on the return of 11 missing children they claim were violently taken from their homes by the officials. The 12th child, an adopted boy, was reportedly released after 29 days following intervention from a congress deputy.

The farmers said officials took away four natural and seven adopted girls and charged several thousand yuan each for their return. Three of the biological children were from unregistered marriages and one was in breach of family planning policies.

Yang Libing , a 42-year-old man from Fengxing village, said his de facto wife gave birth to a girl in July 2004 and even though she was their first child, the county's family planning officers took the infant away on April 29 last year citing an 'unregistered marriage and an illegal child'.

Mr Yang said the office demanded 8,000 yuan for the baby's return, a price that rose to 20,000 yuan several days later. 'We are poor people and my relatives were not able to collect so much money in several days,' Mr Yang said.