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Jerusalem Post - Canadian campaigner warns of illegal organ harvesting
(Clearwisdom.net) Feb. 13, 2008 Kilgour, coauthor of a report titled "An Independent Investigation into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China," spoke to the Knesset's Health and Welfare Committee. Ahead of the Olympics in Beijing in August, China has taken renewed interest in its image abroad. Three months ago, Chinese officials announced that the country was cracking down on medical tourists who visit the country for procedures that are markedly cheaper than in their home countries. According to "An Independent Investigation into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China," which was published in 2006 by Kilgour and David Matas, the Chinese government "systematically harvests" the organs of Falun Gong members. In 1999, the Chinese government banned Falun Gong and began cracking down on the group. "Falun Gong practitioners in jail are tested every three months for blood and general health, and their information is put into a computer bank that identifies them. So when someone comes from Tel Aviv to China and checks into a hospital it is set up like some type of terrible restaurant. The computer does the choosing, but the lobster is the human being, the Falun Gong, who has been jailed and can now have no choice over their fate," said Kilgour.
Health insurance companies say thousands of Israelis go abroad each year for organ transplants. Israel has one of the lowest organ donor rates in the world, at fewer than 10 donors per million people, compared to Europe or the United States, where there are 15-30 donors per million people. China has become one of the top destinations for those in need of organs.
While Israeli health insurance companies officially condemn illegal organ harvesting, many end up funding their patients' trips to China.
The Chinese government denies any mistreatment of Falun Gong practitioners. Their embassy in Israel could not be reached for comment. |