(Clearwisdom.net) (Reported by a Minghui Correspondent) During recent days, 21 cadavers from China were exhibited at the Masonic Center in San Francisco. The names of the deceased were not disclosed, causing grave concern from many circles. Many were led to wonder if the cadavers were among those called "dissidents" by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) who have mysteriously disappeared.

Venue of press conference in front of Masonic Center

The Epoch Times reported that the exhibition "The Universe Within" is a show that uses more than 20 human corpses from China. Some of these corpses had skin or organs removed. They were set up in different poses, including whole skin hung with hangers. Tickets were $17 each and part of the proceeds would go to China. ABC in San Francisco reported that the entrepreneur said that the corpses were purchased from a university in Beijing; however, the ABC reporter called the college and its administrator said he knew nothing about it. Later the reporter inquired of the employees of the Masonic Center. The employees said, "We were required not to discuss the source of the corpses. We were told to say 'Don't know' if anybody asks."

Chinese corpses exhibited in San Francisco. Many organizations called attention to China's human rights on May 30, 2005. The photo is of Mr. Jeffrey Shurtleff, a representative of Amnesty International San Francisco Bay Area, giving a speech.

On May 30, 2005, several organizations, including China Forum at the University of California, Berkeley, Amnesty International, Friends of Falun Gong, Press Freedom and Human Rights League, and North California Center for Resigning from the CCP held a press conference in front of the Masonic Center. They pointed out that the cadaver show violates Chinese traditions and human rights. Since the CCP took power in 1949, approximately 80 million Chinese people have been killed. Many so-called "dissidents" by the CCP were taken away and never seen again. The unknown source of the corpses in the show made people think about the whereabouts and disappearance of those "dissidents".

Falun Gong practitioner Xuerong Zhang

A Falun Gong spokesperson participated in the press conference. She said, "Since the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners began, the deaths of more than 2000 practitioners have been documented. Many practitioners were taken away by CCP police and no one knows their whereabouts. For example, Mr. Xiong Huang, brother of Dr. Wanqing Huang in the US, was arrested four years ago for practicing Falun Gong. Still today, no one knows his whereabouts. Dr. Huang's first reaction to such a cadaver show is that he worries about his brother's life."

The spokesperson went on to say that the CCP persecutes Falun Gong practitioners every day. Those persecuted by the CCP also include Christians, Tibetan monks, democracy seekers, and people appealing. Many people disappear and are never heard from again after police take them away. Where are they? Is it possible that some of them were killed and their corpses are shown here? In addition, the profit from the show is given to China. Will the CCP persecute more innocent people using the money made from the corpses being shown?

Representative of the Press Freedom and Human Rights League

The source of the corpses is not known; however people's concerns about it are not groundless. The CCP unlawfully removes organs from prisoners. This has been verified and condemned by the international community. The corpses of Falun Gong practitioners tortured by the CCP and Jiang's faction reveal holes and organ removal. Some corpses have been dissected without family members' consent. Insiders have disclosed that some people unlawfully remove organs from corpses of practitioners tortured to death and illegally sell the organs for profit.

Living people suffer from persecution and the dead are trampled. Under the iron curtain of the CCP's totalitarian control with violence, lies and corruption, too many crimes occur and are covered up.