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Sunday, September 24, 2006

Organ harvesting and Local Government


MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
______________________________________________________________

What does organ harvesting have to do with local government?

An independent investigation recently conducted by former MP David Kilgour and international human rights lawyer David Matas came to a shocking conclusion: that Falun Gong practitioners’ organs are being extracted while they are still alive and sold to the highest bidder. The report stated that the heart, both kidneys, the corneas and the liver are all taken; the bodies are then burned in a crematory to destroy all evidence.

Organs are advertised as “fresh” on websites, and foreigners travel to China from all over the world for a transplant. The report found that an organ can be procured within a matter of weeks in China, whereas in the rest of the world it takes on average 3.5 years. Kilgour said Canadians are among those who have traveled to China for illicit organs.

The report states that the Chinese regime’s “policy of repression of Falun Gong means that they are in prison without rights, at the disposition of corrupt authorities. The incitement to hatred against Falun Gong and their dehumanization means that they can be butchered and killed without qualms by those who buy into this official hate propaganda.”

Sue Zhang, spokesperson for the BC Falun Dafa Association (BCFDA), says that while calling on international communities to urge the Chinese regime to stop these atrocities is the number one priority right now, local government can help by adopting a resolution.

“The BC Falun Dafa Association is seeking support from the three levels of government to implement some of the 17 recommendations made in the report,” says Zhang. “Vernon is leading the way with an outstanding resolution.”

Zhang says drafting a resolution is not a complicated procedure and can include any/all of the three following points: to urge the regime to immediately end the persecution of Falun Gong and release all Falun Gong practitioners; to discourage citizens of their city from traveling to China for a transplant operation; and to request the provincial government to prohibit any BC resident from receiving an illegal organ transplant in China.

This is not just a federal issue, nor even a political issue, but a blatant attack on the moral conscience of all human beings. We must stand to protect our fellow world citizens in the face of persecution. There truly is no other choice we can make as human beings.” Zhang said.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline with roots in ancient China. Best known for its five sets of gentle, meditative exercises, Falun Gong emphasizes self-improvement through moral teachings based on the principles of Truth, Compassion and Tolerance. The nationwide systematic persecution of Falun Gong, initiated by Jiang Zemin in 1999, has as its aim the eradication of Falun Gong from Chinese society.

It is noteworthy the US State Department, in a world report to Congress, recently blacklisted China as a serious violator of religious freedom.

Related media reports can be found here and the KM report here.

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