News and Events from around the World -- December 12, 2006

Issued by Clearwisdom Net

Content

  • Belgium: A Call for an Investigation into the Chinese Communist Regime's Practice of Organ Harvesting

  • Taiwan: Miaoli County Council Passes a Resolution Condemning CCP for Harvesting Organs from Falun Gong Practitioners



  • Belgium: A Call for an Investigation into the Chinese Communist Regime's Practice of Organ Harvesting

    At the invitation of Belgium MP Jan Loones, independent Canadian investigators David Kilgour and David Matas held a press conference at the Belgium Parliament about the Chinese Communist regime's illegal organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners.


    The press conference

    The Honorable Mr. Jan Loones, the N-VA Party MP and Foreign Affairs Committee member, hosted the press conference. He said that, like others, he has been extremely concerned with the situation that the Western countries, including Belgium, only care about conducting business with China and completely ignore the human rights issues. He pointed out his grave concerns in a press release published on March 18 this year.

    The Honorable Mr Loones stressed that, from reports by Amnesty International, corruption and abuse of power is widespread and very serious in China. The shooting of refugees by Chinese border guards and the arrest of the renowned human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng were among the latest abuses of power. The brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is especially of concern. He already requested the Belgium Foreign Affairs Committee to formerly conduct a hearing on China's human rights problems. Today's press conference was the beginning of the process.

    He said that David Kilgour and David Matas carried out independent investigations into allegation that the Chinese Communist regime harvests organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. Although the allegation was quite shocking and difficult to believe, the conclusion of their investigation confirmed that the Chinese Communist regimes persecuted to death large number of Falun Gong practitioners and their organs were taken and traded at high prices. This happens in the so-called "best period of human rights in China" claimed by the Chinese regime. He hoped that the Western governments would openly talk to the CCP about the human rights issues, instead of just having the human rights dialogue behind closed door. He praised the recent action by the Canadian Prime Minister, who insisted that Canadian values and principles on human rights come before trading with China, and cited it as example for other countries.

    In his press release, Mr Loones demanded that the dictatorial Chinese Communist regime open for inspection its prisons, labor camps, and other facilities where Falun Gong practitioners are being illegally detained. He called upon the Parliament and various governments to support the investigation.

    Following Mr Loones' speech, the two independent Canadian investigators, David Kilgour and David Matas, introduced their investigation reports and the latest progress. They appealed for united action by all political parties to stop the continuing atrocity by the Chinese Communist regime.

    Falun Gong practitioner from France Chen Ying described her own experience of being subjected to brutal persecution in a Chinese labor camp because of her belief in "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." After the atrocity of the regime's organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners was exposed, she remembered that in the labor camp, she was subjected to various medial examinations, including on her heart, blood, and eyes, as she was being tortured. (Obviously the medical examinations were not to ensure their physical health.) She appealed to Western societies to help stop the persecution and rescue Falun Gong practitioners who face the danger of death.

    Mr. Ivan, the Belgium representative for the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong in China (CIPFG), said in his speech that after the Chinese regime's organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners was exposed in March 2006, CIPFG was established with the sole aim of investigating and stopping the large scale persecution by the Chinese Communist regime against Falun Gong, especially the atrocity of organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners.

    He said that currently members of CIPFG in China, such as human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng and Yang Zaixin, have been harassed and arrested. Large numbers of Falun Gong practitioners are still detained in prisons, labor camps, and other facilities, and subjected to torture. They can become victims of organ harvesting at any time. The international communities have a responsibility to immediately investigate and stop this crime against humanity.

    Mr. Ivan said that a group to investigate in China has recently being formed and plans to go to China to investigate the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and the atrocity of organ harvesting from living people. Many people from various professions applied to join the group. They plan to go to China to carry out thorough and independent investigations. The sub-groups from Australia, Europe, North America, and Asia have already formed or are being formed. He demanded that the Chinese regime to keep its promise to the international communities to assist the group to openly investigate all allegations without interference.

    Mr. Ivan said that the group would keep governments and media informed of their progress, including its members' applications of visa to China and the investigation in China. He called for the support and concern from the international community.

    Belgian Senator Mr. Patrik Vankrunkelsven, who just carried out an investigation into the Chinese regime's organ trade a few days ago, attended this press conference. He also appealed to unite all efforts to investigate and stop this crime by the Chinese regime.

    Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2006/12/6/144040.html


    Taiwan: Miaoli County Council Passes a Resolution Condemning CCP for Harvesting Organs from Falun Gong Practitioners

    On December 7, 2006, the Miaoli County Council held the second scheduled conference of the 16th Council and passed a resolution entitled "Condemn the Chinese Communist Regime’s Illegal Human Organ Trafficking."


    The conference hall


    PM Chou with Falun Gong practitioners

    The council urged the City Health Department to help the local medical organization to set up relevant ethical rules and called on concerned organizations to inform those who intend go to the Mainland to receive organ transplants that they may be violating the law by receiving organs from people who were murdered. The council also suggested using both governmental and non-governmental channels to inform the public about the safety issues and legal issues regarding organ transplants in Mainland China.

    The Miaoli County Council called upon the CCP to stop the persecution against Falun Gong and the organ harvesting. The Council urged the government and international society to condemn the CCP’s brutality. The Council requested that the CCP open all detention centers, forced labor camps, and medical facilities to the international organizations to investigate the organ harvesting.

    Mrs. Chou, a parliament member, said that, since March 2006, several witnesses have verified that thousands of Falun Gong practitioners are jailed in several concentration camps all over the country and that the CCP harvests organs from those practitioners. The CCP’s own media also reported that there are sufficient organ sources in the Shenyang area [to handle any transplant request]. All of this evidence support the existence of the organ harvesting.

    Three weeks after the international media exposed the organ harvesting, instead of clearly responding to the allegation, the CCP hastily published "Interim Regulations for Human Organ Transplant Practice." However, the regulations will not take effect until July 1, 2006, and thus people suspect the regime was allowing time for all evidence of the crimes to be destroyed.

    According to non-governmental statistics, more than 3,000 Koreans have received organ transplants in China in the recent years. Many Taiwanese have also gone to Mainland China for organs. The Department of Health in China claims that all the organs were from death-sentenced criminals, but only 1000 death-sentenced criminals were documented. Mrs. Chou suggests that each country's government should inform the public as soon as possible that China’s organ transplantation involves the illegal, forced harvesting of organs from unwilling, living donors and that people should not go to China for an organ transplant before relevant laws are enacted in China.

    Mrs. Chou noted that the organ harvesting is very brutal. She called upon all the council members to support this resolution to condemn the CCP.

    Falun Gong practitioners clarified the truth of the organ harvesting to the president and the vice president of the council and expressed hope that the council would help to rescue the practitioners in China. The president and the vice president of the council supported the practitioners. PM Chou Yuman proposed the resolution and all the members of the council supported it.

    So far, 16 counties and cities in Taiwan, including Chiayi County, Yilan County, Keelung Cinty, Hualien County, Tainan City, Yunling County, Pingtung County, Penghu County, Changhwa County, Hsinchu County, Taichung City, Taitung County, Kaohsiung City, Taoyuan County, Taichung County, and Miaoli County, have passed the resolutions to condemn the CCP’s atrocities of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners.

    Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2006/12/8/144263.html