Transcript; A strengthening this weekend to bi-lateral relations between China and Australia.

A group of 16 Aust. Families arrives back home over the next few days, having completed an emotionally and financially draining trip to China to adopt a baby girl and our correspondent Tom O'Burn reports.......

Despite the price tag organisers expect that China will soon become the biggest source for Aust. Wanting to adopt a child overseas.

Reporter T.O'B. "A proud new father beside the hotel pool in Quonjo changing his one year old daughters nappy for the first time.

38 yr. Old Rod and his wife Jan admit the last 2 weeks in this bustling southern Chinese city has been a rapid learning curve in parenthood, but the long wait for an adopted Chinese child has been worth it".

Rod.. "We went to the room where they.. They bought the babies in and.. And it was.. Very emotional.. We just grabbed hold of them it was....".

Jan.. "You can't prepare yourself, we did exactly what we expected we would do.... Just grabbed hold of her and cried our hearts out. "

Rod.. "Oh she was just there. You can't prepare.. Its just something that just happens".

T.O'Burn.. "Its a similar story for 13 other couples and 2 single women who have made the treck from NSW, Vic. , S.Aust. , Act. And Tas. To collect their new child". "For those like Aldo and Angela, it ends a frustrating and fruitless 9yr wait on the local adoption lists".

Angela.. "The anxiety and the waiting has just been draining.. Ah you feel like you've been on a roller coaster with high and low feelings.. But at the end of it all its just been fantastic".

Tom O'B.. " For Aldo the prospect of bringing home a Chinese baby presents no dilemma.

Aldo.. "I think that Aust. As it is, such a multicultural type country a lot more of this is happening like.. You know.. From Vietnam and other countries. So Eurasian babies are no longer a sort of.. Just a sore point.. That you know they are just not the odd child out, and that there is a lot more of it happening. So I just don't see it being a problem for us".

T.O'B.. "An agreement signed last year with Chinese authorities makes Aust the 15th country that can now buy orphaned Chinese baby girls. World wide its become a major business with an annual turnover greater than $100 million a year, even so the authorities here bridle at the suggestions that the long contentious one child policy and the centuries old tradition of Chinese couples wanting a male heir has contributed to over flowing orphanages. But this groups adoption centre contact (Chinese name given) agrees the supply can match the increasing demand.

Female adoption worker... "All the families waiting in line will come to adopt soon and ah, I think China can ah, satisfy all their needs, you know, like no matter how many they send to China to adopt they will be given a child".

TomO'B.. "A number of the group told of a expensive all be it largely trouble free time in China, all but one of the children were under 2 (years), and most are small for their age but all have passed Aust, stringent medical.

Of greater concern to these parents who have paid $5,000.00 to Australian authorities and up to 3 times that in cash to the Chinese is the need for political action. South Aust. Law states that the adoptive parent can be no more than 40 years older than the child and unlike the USA, Aust. Offers No Tax Relief on the adoption outlays. Despite such concerns one group member says; "The pain is worth it! ".

An adopting father... " What we are really looking for was a healthy daughter and we're looking for a toddler or infant that would really, sort of, be able to join our family".

Tom O'B... "But while the first group heads home an estimated 200 families are still on a waiting list. The Chinese say the next trip might not take place until the new year".

I wanted to share this radio news bulletin with everyone.

I am outraged that in the year 2000 authorities and adoptive parents still ignore the obvious consequences of their desperate need to parent a child at any cost.

My dictionary defines slave-trade as "the business of purchasing or kidnapping humans for selling them". Is this any different?

A breach of article 4 under the United Nations `Universal Declaration of Human Rights'.

By purchasing these little girls the Australian Government is condoning the `China One Child Policy'.

At a recent Adoption Conference, that some of our committee attended, a spokesperson for Dept. Of Community Services said, "The NSW Government will not have adoption agreements with any country that is not a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child".

If China has ratified or is even a signatory to this convention they are not complying with their obligations but if they are not a signatory, according to Doc'S, we should not be negotiating adoptions with China.

The adoptive parents (A.P's) and the Chinese authorities, in the above news bulletin, are referring to these little girls as though they are commodities.

They state; China has made in excess of $100 million to date and go on to say the supply can match the increasing demand of the hundreds of A.P's in the 15 countries signed up to adopt baby girls thus far.

What if the demand exceeds the supply or the A.P's requirements change to wanting new-borns or baby boys.

Given this has become a solution to over population and a welcome money maker for a cash strapped Chinese government and its track record on human rights abuses, what would stop authorities from kidnapping new born infants from hospitals and telling the parents their baby has died, no consent required as they can say they are orphans, to supply the growing demand. Remember this happened in our own hospitals and is called Rapid Adoption.

When governments, like this, profit from human rights violations, corruption is a possibility especially when dealing in Cash, as stated in the story.

N.G.O's (non government organisations) in other offer countries prefer sponsership from well meaning westerners, this is by no means perfect, but it enables a child who is genuinely orphaned, care and a sense of belonging in their own culture and prospects of having a connection with their extended family, then when they are older they can be around people in a society they know.

Why has China chosen adoption for these baby girls, given the already 100 million extra males, it can't be for the good of the child or for that matter, anyone.

The motivation behind this policy leaves many questions unanswered and we, as one of the 15 countries who are accepting these little girls have not been given any public explanation or justification for our role.

An article in `Marie Claire' earlier this year discussed the `China One Child Policy" and that since its inception, in 1979, there are already 100 million more males ranging in ages to 21, this itself is proof that the One Child Policy is the cause.

100 million frustrated males, most of whom can only have sex with a prostitute and no possibility of an intimate relationship must be of concern. In history this is a sure recipe for war.

The article went on to say that for the first time they have a violent crime problem.

Katya's story is also a warning to anyone adopting babies from countries with this type of human rights record in relation to their own citizens.

When parents in these countries are forced or coerced and deceived into selling or `abandoning' their children to orphanages it is not done by heartless individuals, but desperate people with no alternative or help from dictatorial regimes who have no respect for their citizens, and who place unbelievable restrictions and penalties on them.

Our own government has finally been exposed for its appalling record in this area as with The Stolen Generations, The Orphans of the Empire and our own abuses (of which I don't have to explain to you).

These little girls will always feel outcasts they have no way of ever finding their real parents, they are classified Orphans and have no records and no history, how convenient. They will always feel abandoned never knowing the truth and always feel a responsibility and a debt of gratitude to the AP's who they believe saved them, an enormous burden for even the most wanted child.

Their life begins when they are adopted and the adoption myth begins. But as we all know, they are already damaged psychologically for life, which Dr. Rickarby and many others have struggled to expose to an adoption loving world.

Surely there are others who think this is shocking and we can't sit by silently knowing as we do the injustice and the life long damage of adoption.