Epoch Times: Singaporeans Should Think Before Going to China for Organ Transplants (Photo)
March 10, 2007 (Clearwisdom.net) In early 2006, after the revelation of the Chinese
Communist Party's (CCP) crime of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong
practitioners, Canadian independent investigators David Kilgour and David Matas
released their independent investigative report in July 2006, claiming the crime
is an unprecedented evil on Earth. On January 31, 2007, at the Parliament Hill in Ottawa, two investigators
released new evidence regarding the CCP harvesting organs from living Falun Gong
practitioners, further verifying the CCP's guilt. Since the revelation of
"live organ harvesting" last year, the CCP on the surface has denied
harvesting organs from living persons. However, according to Kilgour and Matas, such activities are continuing even
now, only they are being done in a more covert way. Hiding the organ harvesting
is an obvious attempt to escape an independent and just investigation by the
international community. In order to conduct further investigation into the allegations and to expose
the persecution of Falun Gong, the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of
Falun Gong (CIPFG) has formed four investigative branches on the four continents
of the world. Beginning in November 2006, it was composed of 301 members from different
fields in different countries who are concerned about the human rights Falun
Gong practitioners. These members include national (federal)-level politicians,
provincial and municipal-level government officials, religious and community
leaders, organ transplant experts and doctors, international human rights and
criminal lawyers, non-governmental organizations and groups, and international
media and human rights activists. Dr. Chee Soon Juan is the first Singaporean who volunteered to join the CIPFG-Asia
branch. This reporter therefore requested an exclusive interview with Dr. Chee.
The following is the transcription of the interview. Epoch Times: The CCP has been harvesting organs from living Falun Gong
practitioners and selling them to the highest bidder from 2001 until today, what
do you think of such a crime? Dr. Chee: [...] Recently, organ harvesting was brought to my attention
again when David Kilgour had started investigating, looking into the situation
again. It is very hard to believe that in this modern day and age, something
like that is still going on. It is a very serious problem, and I think we need
to look into it. Whatever everybody says, then let it be open, let it be aboveboard. But there
must be an investigation because we must determine for ourselves whether
something like that is really taking place. If it is, then we must call
attention to it, and put a stop to it, because as I said, in this day and age,
it's so unthinkable that something like that is happening. It cannot be
condoned. ET: Singapore's media including The Straits Times and Today
recently reported that a Singaporean went to China for an organ transplant, that
person knew that the organ used in his transplant operation was extracted from a
living person, but for the sake of his own life, he still spent $40,000 on this
operation. What do you think of this matter? Dr. Chee: I have very little information on this matter whether
Singaporeans are actually going over to China for organ transplants that involve
organs that have been illegally and forcefully harvested from people in China. If it is happening, then we should call our attention to it because such
things, as I said, it should not be taking place at all. Humanity should not
allow something like this to happen. And hopefully, we can begin to educate people all around the world including
Singapore. I don't think any Singaporean... person... would willfully do
something like that, knowing that another person's life has to be taken
illegally. If there's a person who is dying and is willing to donate his organs, sure,
that's a different story. But when you're talking about a person's life being taken and organs are
harvested illegally, then I think we have to think very carefully about what we
do when we go to China for organ transplant. ET: Recently, the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong
(CIPFG) was formed internationally, it specifically investigates the harvesting
of organs from living Falun Gong practitioners, Do you want to join the
investigation group to conduct investigation over this matter? Dr. Chee: Yes. If there's a commission or committee that's going on right
now that's looking into it, I think whoever has any resource can help to look
into, to investigate this matter more in depth, and get more information so that
we can come to the real truth of this matter. As I said, if this matter is not true, then nobody should be afraid to come
out and say, "Look, investigate all you want. You're not going to find
anything." But if there is something there, then I think it is incumbent on
the world to look into this matter, to stop this vigorous violation of someone's...
not just someone's rights, but literally someone's life. ET: That is to say, if the CCP regime has not done such a thing, it
should not cover it up, but open the gate for the international independent
investigation groups to conduct an open investigation, Is that right? Dr. Chee: Of course. Be open and transparent about it. If for example,
today I accused the American government of organ harvesting, I think the
authorities in U.S. would say, "That's not true. Why don't you come in and
see for yourself?" That should be the attitude of any government--especially when there has been
some information that is circulating. Even if it's not true, you want to make
sure that you openly declare things to be the way that they are, and invite
people to come and take a look. That's the best way to kill such a report. Background Information about the CIPFG By February 12, 2007, the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun
Gong (CIPFG) had completed its preliminary work of organizing in four continents
of the world. Four investigative branches have been successively formed. They
are: CIPFG-Australia Branch, CIPFG-Asia Branch, CIPFG-European Branch and CIPFG-US-Canada
Branch. The objective of the CIPFG is to conduct a thorough investigation into the
allegations that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) murdered Falun Gong
practitioners for their organs in the name of profits. It seeks to expose the
situation that Falun Gong practitioners have been facing during the persecution
in mainland China and stop the persecution as soon as possible. It also aims to
hold those participants who have planned and implemented such inhuman killings
accountable for committing crimes against humanity. The following is a list of leading members in the four investigative branches
of the CIPFG: CIPFG Australia: Andrew Bartlett, Senator, Deputy Leader of the Australian
Democrats; Chris Bowen, Federal Member for Prospect; Kerry Nettle, Senator;
Barnaby Joyce, Senator; Phil Glendenning, Director Edmund Rice Centre; Peter
Westmore, President of the National Civic Council CIPFG Asia: Lai Ching-Te, Taiwan, Legislator; Kenneth H.C. Chiu, Taiwan,
Lawyer; Takayuki Tsutiya, Japan, City Consul of Tokyo; Kim Ho Il, Korea, Former
MP; Szeto Wah, Hong Kong, Chairman of Hong Kong Alliance In Support Of Patriotic
Democratic Movements Of China; Edmund Bon Tai Soon, Malaysia, Lawyer CIPFG Europe: Thomas Buchi, Former President of Human Rights Commission in
Geneva Candidate with the National Council of Switzerland; Charles Graves,
General Secretary of Interfaith International, Switzerland; Conrad Muller,
Director of Swiss Transplant; Jan Loones, MP, Belgium; Harry Van Bommel, MP,
Holland; John Dee, Chair of Friends of Falun Gong in Europe CIPFG U.S.-Canada: Rabbi Dr. Reuven Bulka, President, CIPFG Canada; Simma
Holt, former MP; John Dossetor, Co-Founder of The Kidney Foundation of Canada,
Officer of Order of Canada; Clive Ansley, Lawyer, China Expert, China Country
Monitor of Lawyers Rights Watch Canada; Michael Horowitz, Senior Fellow and
Director, Civil Justice Reform and Project for International Religious Liberty,
Hudson Institute; Kirk C. Allison, Associate Director Program in Human Rights
and Medicine, University of Minnesota; Michael Benjamin, New York State
Assemblyman
Dr. Chee Soon
Juan of Singapore feels it is his duty to join the Committee to
Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong's efforts to uncover the truth
about organ harvesting in China. (Mingguo/Epoch Times)
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