Budget contains funding for U.N. population effort

To the editor:

The U.N. Population Fund representative in China, Sven Burmester, recently commented, "For all the bad press, China has achieved the impossible. The country has solved its population problem." The United Nations has contributed $177 million for population control to China, whose policies include gross violations of human rights, including forced abortions, mandatory sterilizations and the destruction of houses of families with more than one child. Infanticide is also widespread.

The U.N. Population Fund is funded exclusively through donations from rich western nations. Two years ago, Congress defunded its annual $25 million grant. Under President Bush's first budget proposal, the $25 million reappeared. Please contact your federal politicians and ask them to again reject all funding for this terrible crime. Funding the U.N. Population Fund besmirches the honor of the United States. We must remain firm in our stand to not fund these atrocities.

MARCUS R. SCHAEFER

Benton, Mo.