Aljazeera.net reports:
Euthanasia would be for those with painful, incurable conditions
An adviser to China's parliament has proposed allowing doctors
to "experiment" with euthanasia as a step towards
legalising mercy killing nationwide, the official Xinhua news
agency has reported.
A survey carried out in several areas of the country showed
more than 80% of people supported euthanasia for those with
incurable, painful illness, Zhao Gongmin, a researcher with
the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said. Approval rates
were especially high among the elderly, he said. However,
he added that conditions were "not yet ripe for national-level
legislation on euthanasia".
"I think it is only a matter of time for euthanasia to
become legal," Zhao said, speaking on the sidelines of
the ongoing session of the National People's Congress in Beijing.
"Therefore, we should allow some experiments on the local
level for the purpose of accumulating experience."
"We should allow some experiments on the local level
for the purpose of accumulating experience"
Zhao Gongmin, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Euthanasia has come up at previous parliament meetings and
been a subject of controversy around the country for years.
Zhao's point comes as the government has pledged to put massive
new investment in its decaying rural health care system, which
is leaving many millions with no access to money unable to
afford medical treatment. It is not uncommon for rural people
with serious illnesses to kill themselves, often to avoid
burdening their families with expensive medical bills.
