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Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Ottawa weighs in on Falun Gong dispute

The battle is about to begin ... and now Ottawa is setting the tone asking for the best of both worlds.

"Recent claims have surfaced regarding organ harvesting from prisoners who have not consented to donation, including Falun Gong members," it states.

"We have taken note of both the Chinese and U.S. governments' public statements on this issue . . . . More generally, we continue to have serious concerns over the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners."

VANCOUVER SUN: OTAWA -- The federal government has intervened in the dispute between the Chinese government officials and Falun Gong protesters to remind the City of Vancouver that Canada has an international treaty obligation to protect the "dignity" of foreign embassies, The Vancouver Sun has learned.

But Canadian officials, who cede jurisdiction on the matter to the city, have also taken steps to inform Chinese officials that Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms takes precedence over bilateral treaty obligations, according to newly obtained internal documents.

The ongoing dispute -- the city has been trying without success since June to force Falun Gong demonstrators to dismantle the billboards and small structure attached to the consulate's fence -- is one of numerous irritants being raised at high-level Canada-China meetings, according to briefing notes.

"Canada has no position on the Falun Gong group or its teachings," states the beginning of an undated briefing note, stamped "SECRET CEP" -- (CEP stands for Canadian eyes only), that was prepared in advance of a planned bilateral meeting in late July in Malaysia between Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay and Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing.

A portion of the statement, relating to the Falun Gong meditation movement that China considers a subversive cult, is whited out under provisions of the Access to Information Act that allows officials to censor information "reasonably expected to be injurious" to the conduct of international affairs.

The rest of the statement makes clear Canada has taken some steps -- though not clearly enough to answer China's complaints.

"We are aware of our Vienna Convention obligations, and have communicated this information to the municipal authorities in Vancouver who have jurisdiction over the matter," declares the position statement, which MacKay is advised to make only if the matter is raised by China.

"So long as they remain peaceful and comply with local laws, such protests are constitutionally protected in Canada."

Ambra Dickie, a spokeswoman for the department of foreign affairs and international trade (DFAIT), said China has been complaining about the protest signs for three years.

"DFAIT's fundamental role is to serve as the formal channel of communications between foreign governments and all levels of government in Canada," she said in a prepared statement.

"As we would normally do in such cases, DFAIT advised the City of Vancouver of the Chinese embassy's concerns and of Canada's Vienna Convention obligations."

She read a section of the convention that calls on countries to "protect the consular premises against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the consular post or impairment of its dignity."

Dickie added, however, that the decision to order the signs taken down was made by the city, "and as such any further questions should be directed towards them."

The issue is also raised in a briefing note prepared in advance of a June 12, 2006 briefing note in Beijing between Ted Lipman, then director-general of DFAIT's East Asia Division, and Liu Jieyi, a senior official in China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Under the heading "Vancouver protest signs," the briefing note advises Lipman to say that Canada "fully respects the right to freedom of speech in Canada, as well as the City of Vancouver's bylaws and our international obligations under the Vienna Convention."

The remaining paragraphs on the issue are whited out, again because disclosure could be "injurious" to Canada's foreign interests.

Both briefing documents raise a variety of human rights and consular issues that the Harper government is pushing to the forefront.

The Conservatives have criticized previous Liberal governments for allegedly putting trade ahead of human rights, though Liberals counter that rights issues were routinely raised behind closed doors.

The briefing note in advance of the June meeting in Beijing raises one of the most provocative allegations against Beijing's authoritarian rule.

"Recent claims have surfaced regarding organ harvesting from prisoners who have not consented to donation, including Falun Gong members," it states.

"We have taken note of both the Chinese and U.S. governments' public statements on this issue . . . . More generally, we continue to have serious concerns over the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners."

poneil1@hotmail.com

Monday, December 25, 2006

CRTC approves the 9 CCP Channels

It is regretful but not surprising that CRTC approved the 9 CCP channels after all the evidence that was put forth objecting to their broadcasting on Canadian airwaves. However, CRTC recognizes that there is questionable evidence that shadowed the application somewhat, but it didn't make any difference after all because it happened between 1999 and 2001...Hmmm. One will have to dig deeper to find more recent evidence. Phoenix News channel was also approved.

CRTC Excerpt: The Commission finds that one of these programming services, CCTV-4, aired abusive comment in news stories dating back to 1999 and 2001. The Commission defines abusive comment as any abusive comment or abusive pictorial representation that, when taken in context, tends to or is likely to expose an individual or group or class of individuals to hatred or contempt on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age or mental or physical disability. In light of the age of the stories and the absence of any concrete evidence as to similar comment since, the Commission is unable to conclude, with a reasonable degree of certainty, that the stories in question are typical of content currently aired on CCTV-4.

The Commission notes CITVC's statements that the Chinese Great Wall TV Package (which includes CCTV-4) "obeys the laws of every country in which its services are broadcast and Canada will be no exception" and "will comply with the provisions of the relevant codes that govern Canadian broadcasters." The Commission will expect CCTV-4 to ensure that abusive comment is not aired when the service is distributed in Canada, failing which, the service could be removed from the digital lists. (more)

Singapore's Rule of BAD Law

On the surface Singapore looks like it is a vibrant democracy where people are granted the right to chose and vote. But the sad reality is that it seems to be a country with complete dictatorship and autocracy. The way they treat Falun Gong practitioners is a typical example.

FGHRWG Newsletter: Judge Refuses Evidence of the Chinese Communist Regime's Persecution of Falun Gong and Throws Two Peaceful Protestors in Jail

What is Singapore's judicial process coming to? The same level as that of Mainland China, it would appear. In this trial of citizen demonstrators for harassment, political concerns for China's reputation were held higher than Singapore's citizens' right to democratic expression. (more)

Related Article:

Singapore Decision Aids and Abets Murderous Regime


Friday, December 22, 2006

Amnesty International: Gao Zhisheng's verdict

What might look like an act of compassion to some is merely an illusion in the lead to the 2008 Olympics. Putting a muzzle on Gao will not stop the freedom movement from moving forward, on the contrary this will likely backfire on the CCP. Here is Amnesty International's reaction to Gao Zhisheng verdict. Sign petition letter here.

Gao's friend, Hu Jia, commented: "This is the result of the endeavors of the international community and activists. This is our first victory," Hu said. "Gao Zhisheng is innocent and the case itself is an infringement of his human rights." (more)

AI Press release, 12/22/2006: Reacting to today’s verdict by Beijing Municipal No.1 Court which has given rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng a three-year suspended prison sentence for 'inciting subversion', Amnesty International said

"While we note the unusual decision to give rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng a suspended sentence, we remain deeply concerned that he has been convicted of 'inciting subversion' - a broadly defined crime in the Chinese criminal law that is regularly used to imprison activists in violation of their fundamental human rights to freedom of expression.

“That a Beijing court has stopped short of sending Gao Zhisheng to jail does not detract from the fact that this was a grossly unfair trial and the latest example in a disturbing pattern of Chinese lawyers and activists being subjected to conviction after unfair trials by the Chinese authorities. We urge the authorities to now release Gao Zhisheng immediately and unconditionally and to stop the persecution of both him and his family.” said Catherine Baber, Deputy Director of the Asia programme at Amnesty International

Notes

Gao Zhisheng has been sentenced to 3 years in prison, suspended for five years. This means that he will not be imprisoned unless he commits criminal offences during the five-year period. If imprisoned Amnesty International would consider Gao Zhisheng a prisoner of conscience. It is expected that he will be released soon but is likely to remain under tight supervision by the authorities.

While suspended sentences are common in death penalty cases (with death sentences usually commuted to life imprisonment), they are much less common in ordinary criminal cases. It is appears that the authorities wished to show leniency in his case - possibly due to potential embarrassment and opposition both domestically and internationally to putting such a high profile lawyer behind bars.

For a background briefing on this case click here.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Vancouver: Falun Gong bid for full trial rejected

Stay tuned, there is more to this story than a mere bylaw infraction!


Granville St. protest camp will stay up into new year

The Province (15 December, 2006) - The protesters yesterday failed to persuade a judge to hold a full trial over issues surrounding the City of Vancouver's petition to remove their camp.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Sunni Stromberg-Stein gave the protesters 30 more days to file affidavits in response to the petition filed in August.

The protesters had argued that there were complex Charter of Rights issues to be determined and that a trial was needed.

The city argued that such a move was premature and the judge agreed, noting that the case lends itself better to a petition hearing, a shorter process with lawyers' submissions.

Joe Arvay, a lawyer for the protesters, said a decision on an appeal will be made in the new year.

In June, the protesters were given a deadline to remove a sidewalk shed and wall-mounted signs that have been fixed in place for five years in front of the Chinese consulate on Granville Street.

The city says the protest camp, staffed by at least one protester at all times, violates a bylaw requiring structures to have city approval.

Falun Gong has been described as a combination of exercise, meditation and spiritual belief.

Adherents say there's been a well-documented genocide against their group by the Chinese government.

kfraser@png.canwest.com

CIPFG to petition China to allow probe into organ harvesting

Like Australia, the Asian Branch of the CIPFG is giving Beijing a golden opportunity to welcome the free world to investigate the allegations of live organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners. If Beijing has nothing to hide, there shouldn’t be any problem for the Coalition to go ahead with their plan.

Full Report:

(Kyodo) A group looking into the alleged harvesting by Chinese authorities of organs of executed members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement will deliver a petition letter to a Chinese official in Hong Kong seeking permission to launch an investigation in China, a veteran democrat said Tuesday.

"We will submit a petition letter to Central Government's Liaison Office Director Gao Siren on Dec. 20, demanding China to allow our team to investigate, without authorities' surveillance, allegations of for-profit harvesting of organs from Falun Gong practitioners," former Democratic Party legislator Szeto Wah said.

The Asia branch of the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong in China was established earlier this month with Szeto as the vice chairman, following the setting up of an Australia branch.

The letter also demands a meeting with mainland human rights advocates including detained lawyer Gao Zicheng, who has been held by Chinese police since August, Szeto said.

Falun Gong, established in 1992 by its leader Li Hongzhi, who is reportedly residing in the United States instead of China to avoid persecution, teaches meditation exercises with mixed elements of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.

Along with a few other spiritual movements, it was branded an "evil cult" in 1999 after more than 10,000 practitioners staged a silent protest surrounding Zhongnanhai, the heart of the Chinese government in Beijing.

A study released in July by a Canadian lawyer and a former Canadian government, based mainly on testimony provided by Falun Gong practitioners in Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia, concluded that the Chinese government and affiliated hospitals, detention centers and courts have since 1999 put to death a large but unknown number of Falun Gong practitioners.

It claimed their vital organs, including hearts, kidneys, livers and corneas, were virtually simultaneously seized for sale at high prices, sometimes to foreigners, who normally face long waits for voluntary donations of such organs in their home countries.

The Chinese government has dismissed the allegations, saying they are based on "rumors and false allegations" spread by Falun Gong members "to smear China's image."

The concern group's Asia branch now has 116 members comprised of legislators, professionals and academics from six countries and regions -- Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Macao and Hong Kong.

Szeto is also chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, which has openly criticized China over the bloody crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989 and demanded vindication of the incident.

"We will give Beijing one month's time to respond. If by then it still refuses to allow our investigation team to start probing, we will consider other forms of peaceful activities," Szeto said.

One of the authors of the investigation report, David Kilgour, a former Canadian secretary of state for Asia-Pacific affairs, has suggested calling for a boycott to the 2008 Olympic Games that Beijing will host, if it fails to stop organ harvesting.

Movie: Shake the World

This is an excellent film on the persecution of Falun Gong. Highly inspiring. Look here to see Shake the World!

The Eagle via U-WIRE - Jinwei Wang, a graduate student in American University's School of Communication, wants to bring Eastern culture to Western film techniques. Wang, who plans to graduate in 2008, is on her way with a new narrative film, "Shake the World." Wang wrote, produced, directed and edited the film, which although fictional tells the true story of the Falun Gong persecution currently going on in China.

"Film is a Western technique and I wanted to examine how I can [use it with] the Chinese culture," Wang said.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual ritual that consists of meditation and exercise. Falun Gong teaches the three principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance.

"It benefits individual health," Wang said. "It's very good ... for the whole society and I think that's what the government wants: Peaceful people. I cannot figure out why the persecution began," she said.

While many have heard about the persecution in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, Wang's film follows a woman as she suffers from the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners starting in 1999 in Shijazhuang City of Hebei Providence, China. She is not willing to give up her freedom to practice, even though the Chinese government arrests and tortures Falun Gong practitioners.

Wang's film is tactfully and artfully done. She produced it with the sensitivity of the subject in mind. Wang displays a level of severity on the issue in a considerate and less graphic manner. It forces one to connect emotionally with the practitioners and the protagonist throughout the film.

"My family moved to Japan before the persecution [of] Falun Gong," Wang said. "I didn't know much about the student movement. They said that no one died. When we moved to Japan we watched the video of the satellite video of the tank that killed the student and I was so shocked and so surprised as to how some government could make such a big lie."

Wang wants to focus her studies on film and shot "Shake the World" in only 17 days. She filmed most of it in Taiwan with voluntary Falun Gong practitioners as the actors, cast and crew.

Wang said film is a powerful medium.

"It tells you a story and doesn't force any information," she said. "It is a very important responsibility to make life more beautiful and make society more peaceful and help the people get their human rights back, the rights they were born with."

Wang herself is a Falun Gong practitioner and even while living in Japan was very close to the persecution.

"Before the persecution, half of my classmates in China were Falun Gong practitioners. After school we would practice together. My friends called me when they took their exam to get into universities. They said there are several questions asking, 'What do you think about Falun Gong?' So if you don't answer the way the government would want you to then you will be in trouble," Wang said.

Two of the actresses in Wang's film also have a personal connection to the Falun Gong persecution. The little girl, who plays a 7-year-old daughter, is actually 5 years old and lost her father to the Falun Gong persecution.

"They went to many countries to talk about their story," Wang said. "Her mother said she does not want any more family to face the same persecution."

This issue has immediate importance and Wang feels that in making this film she can draw attention to it and force international pressure on the Chinese government.

"We all think it's a very important issue and [the cast] are all Falun Gong practitioners, so they really want to help the people in China," she said.

"If the international people see what is happening now they think it will be very powerful and the international pressure is very important on the Chinese government for those people living in the culture now," Wang said.

Wang has shown her narrative documentary at many universities, including one in Taiwan. She hopes that the Chinese people can eventually be an audience for "Shake the World," she said.

As for the future, Wang is taking filmmaking one step at a time.

"I really want to be a film director and work on Eastern-feeling films to develop the traditional feeling into the Western technique," she said.

"Hopefully I can begin an Eastern film, and also hopefully I can be a director that can use ... film to help human rights issues," she said.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

China to Allow More Freedom to Journalists from Abroad

According to Edward Cody of the Washington Post, the promised freedom of the press during the 2008 Olympics is far from a fait accompli. It remains to be seen whether the CCP will live up to their word. Do they ever?

Washington Post Excerpt: A manual published by the Public Security Ministry and handed out to Beijing police, who are studying English in preparation for the Olympics, contained a dialogue making clear how ministry officials believe reporting should be approached. It described a hypothetical situation in which a policeman comes upon a foreign reporter inquiring about Falun Gong:

"But Falun Gong has nothing to do with the games," the policeman says.

"What does that matter?" the reporter replies.

"It's beyond the permit."

"What permit?"

"You're a sports reporter. You should only cover the games."

"But I'm interested in Falun Gong."

"It's beyond the limit of your coverage and illegal. As a foreign reporter in China, you should obey China law and do nothing against your status."

"Oh, I see. May I go now?"

"No. Come with us."

A Beijing policeman said the manual was distributed to him and his colleagues, along with a tape recording of the various dialogues, as practice material to supplement three-month-long formal English courses that have been underway since 2002.

Asked how that fit in with the new rules, Liu said that in the coming month there will be briefings on the changes for Chinese government departments, including the Public Security Ministry and provincial, municipal and county propaganda officials who routinely seek to impede coverage of news in their areas. Beginning Jan. 1, those officials will no longer have the right to detain foreign reporters seeking to interview people, he said, and the Foreign Ministry can be called on to intercede if they try.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Letter: Let Harper Teach China a Lesson

Embassy, November 29th, 2006 - Finally, a prime minister who cares about people's rights! How refreshing and noble (Re: "Anti-China Groups Applaud PM's Stance on Human Rights" Nov. 22). The politicians on the Hill must still be in a state of shock over that one. "How dare a prime minister talk about human rights?" has become their new mantra lately. This makes one wonder how low people are willing to go to please China. Let's not bang our heads against the wall anymore over China's democratization–which hasn't happened as anticipated during the last decade.

It is ludicrous to think that Harper's human rights-tailored foreign policy means Canada will lose some key partners or make China's human rights record decline. How could China's human rights record possibly get any worse than it is already with widespread torture, live organ harvesting from Falun Gong members, and imprisonment of lawyers and reporters? If Harper can teach the brutal dictatorship a lesson or two, I'm all for that. It's clear that China needs our oil very badly, so isn't it their turn to sing and dance for us? Integrity is the key word of the day.

Marie Beaulieu
Victoria, BC

Monday, November 27, 2006

Canadian Parliament Committee Hears Evidence of Chinese Abuses

It’s high time that China’s abysmal human rights record drew attention from government officials and that some concrete measures be taken now.

Epoch Times Excerpt: Days after Prime Minister Stephen Harper made headlines by insisting on talking human rights with Chinese leader Hu Jintao, witnesses speaking before a parliamentary committee in Ottawa lent support to Harper's stance with vivid accounts of the state of human rights in that country.

The Chinese regime's crackdown on human rights defenders—particularly journalists and lawyers—was also on display Tuesday.

Li Xun, president of the Falun Dafa Association of Canada says,
"what is happening toward Falun Gong in China and other groups is not a normal human rights issue. It's an issue of crimes against humanity because of its systematic and widespread nature."


China is a large trading partner with Canada, but is a destination for only 1.6 per cent of Canadian exports. Last year, Canada ran a $22.5 billion deficit with the Chinese, according to Statistics Canada. The groups testifying before the committee included democracy activists, Falun Gong supporters, and PEN Canada, a group supporting the rights of journalists. All called for suspending the current dialogue with the Chinese regime.

Brock University professor Charles Burton authored a recent report highly critical of Canada's behind-closed-doors human rights dialogue with China. Burton testified before the same committee October 31. One of the findings of Burton's report was that the mandate of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to "defend China's interest abroad."

"It has no institutional interest in promoting respect for China's human rights domestically," Burton had said. (more)

Friday, November 24, 2006

Gao Zhisheng's wife 'beaten'

Update: While Chinese Lawyer Gao Zhisheng, also known as the Nelson Mandela of China, rots in jail for defending dissidents, the Chinese police commit more acts of indecency toward his family...beating his wife and (Update) daughter.

AP: BEIJING: The wife of an outspoken Chinese lawyer arrested on subversion charges was beaten on Friday by police, who bloodied her mouth and ripped her clothes in the scuffle, a friend said.

Geng He, the wife of Gao Zhisheng, has been under constant police surveillance since August, when her husband was detained after he started a hunger strike, said Hu Jia, a prominent campaigner on AIDS who is a close friend of the couple.

Surveillance and intimidation is common for dissidents and their family members.

According to Geng, she was out shopping in Beijing when she told three plainclothes officers who were following her to keep their distance, Hu said.

The discussion escalated and two of the male officers started beating her while the third, a woman, stood by and watched, he said.

The Public Security Bureau in Beijing did not immediately respond to a faxed request for confirmation of Geng's account.

Her husband, Gao, has represented clients who say their land has been seized by corrupt officials, followers of the banned Falun Gong sect and members of China's underground churches.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Kilgour-Matas react to statement made by Chinese Deputy Minister of Health

Media Advisory

Chinese regime admits taking organs from prisoners

Ottawa – Two Canadians, Mr. David Kilgour and Mr. David Matas, who published an investigative report on organ harvesting of Falun Gong prisoners in China issued their reaction to a recent statement by Chinese Vice Minister of Health Huang Jiefu, which admitted that Chinese regime has used organs from executed prisoners without consent, a claim the regime consistently denied until recently.

“Their admission to organ harvesting from executed prisoners without consent reinforces our conclusion that there is organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners without consent”, said Mr. Matas, “ The Falun Gong constitute a prison population who the Chinese authorities vilify, dehumanize, depersonalize, marginalize even more than executed prisoners sentenced to death for criminal offences.”

“The reason for the harvesting practice in China, which appears unique in the history of human evil, in my opinion stems from China's totalitarian governance model combined with the unrestrained capitalism system in place across the country since about 1979. It is thus not very surprising that deemed enemies of the government in China should be killed and their organs sold mostly to foreigners”, said Kilgour.

“The question now is whether persons of conscience across the world can persuade the government in Beijing to cease the grotesque practice now before the Olympic Games begin in 08. My impression from travels now to almost 25 national capitals across the world in recent months is that there is a growing international consensus that it must stop now if the games are to be successful”, said Kilgour.

Background

Mr. David Kilgour, former Secretary of State (Asian Pacific), and Mr. David Matas, international human rights lawyer, were asked to investigate an allegation that organs were being harvested in China from unwilling Falun Gong practitioners in early May. “The allegations were so shocking that they were almost impossible to believe, … but that disbelief does not mean that the allegations are untrue”. As skeptical lawyers, they investigated. “When one of the first in camera witnesses said that her surgeon husband personally removed the corneas from approximately 2,000 anaesthetized Falun Gong prisoners… we were shaken ", wrote Kilgour.

Kilgour and Matas concluded regrettably that the allegations are true. They further concluded that the government of China and its agencies in numerous parts of the country, have put to death a large but unknown number of Falun Gong prisoners of conscience. Their vital organs, including hearts, kidneys, livers and corneas, were virtually simultaneously seized involuntarily for sale at high prices. Their report is available online.

For more information, contact: David Matas: (204) 944-1831;

David Kilgour: dwkilgour@gmail.com

by Organ Harvest Investigation Team: investigation.team@gmail.com

Letter: Good to Pause Over China's Rights Record

Embassy, November 8th, 2006: I disagree with John Manley's criticism of the Harper government's coolness towards China ("Over Half of Canadians Dislike Tories' Foreign Policy Direction: Poll" Nov. 1). It is actually quite refreshing to see a government pause in front of China's abysmal human rights record. The recent shooting of Tibetans, the news of organ harvesting of living Falun Gong members, the ongoing persecution of Uyghurs and Christians, not to mention the crackdown on rights lawyers should be more than enough to impose economic sanctions on Beijing. In the run-up to the 2008 Olympics, it is deplorable to see human rights violations are on the rise in China. Did we think that the brutal dictatorship was going to change overnight because they said so? I hope that human rights will play an active role in our government's foreign affairs policy.

Marie Beaulieu
Victoria, BC

Ireland: Chinese envoy quizzed on organ claims

This is a step in the right direction and hopefully the meeting will bear some fruit -- Beijing is sure to hear about it. The strong message that the perpertrators of these atrocities are subject to face the International Criminal Court sooner than later will echo far and wide.


AFP: China's ambassador to Ireland is to be asked to appear before an all-party parliamentary committee to discuss claims his country's authorities have been harvesting human organs from prisoners, according to a statement.

The committee is also asking Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern to raise the issue with his Chinese counterpart at a meeting of the ongoing EU-China dialogue on human rights.

The report alleged that "the Chinese Government has over the past half decade put to death a large but unknown number of Falun Gong prisoners of conscience" and "simultaneously seized their vital organs for sale at high prices". (more)

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Human Rights Watch calls on China to disclose information about organ harvesting

This is a good report with one serious omission: the mass murder for organ of the Falun Gong is not mentioned.

Washington Post, 11/20/2006: BEIJING -- A human rights group urged China on Sunday to disclose details surrounding the removal of body organs from executed prisoners for transplants, after health officials recently acknowledged the practice.

Little information about China's transplant business is publicly available, and critics contend it is profit-driven with little regard for medical ethics. China has long defended the practice as legal.

"This is one of the most critical issues in terms of human rights today in China because it raises a number of areas of concern - China's criminal justice system, the use of the death penalty, medical ethics and irregularities in the organ trade," said Nicholas Bequelin, a Hong Kong-based researcher for Human Rights Watch, in a telephone interview.

"China has repeatedly discouraged any attempt to discuss the issue," Bequelin said. "We call on China to disclose the number of people executed every year and the number of organ transplants that take place."

Health officials last week said China routinely removes body organs from executed prisoners for transplants, but said it was only done with the prior consent of the prisoners or their families, according to a state media report.

"Apart from a small portion of traffic victims, most of the organs from cadavers are from executed prisoners," Vice Minister of Health Huang Jiefu said at a conference on human organ transplants last week, according to a China Daily report.

"The relevant authorities strongly require the informed consent from the prisoners or their families for the donation of organs," Huang was quoted as saying in the Nov. 16 report.

It was not the first time that China has acknowledged harvesting organs from executed prisoners. Huang had said at a liver transplant conference in July 2005 that the majority of organs used for transplant in China were from executed prisoners.

Voluntary donations remain far below demand, partly because of cultural biases against organ removal before burial.

Chinese transplantation specialists have estimated that as much as 99 percent of transplanted organs come from executed prisoners, according to a report by Amnesty International in September.

Chinese officials have also acknowledged that poor government supervision in the industry has led to a number of "improper" organ transplants.

Mao Qun'an, a health ministry spokesman, said in the China Daily report that the organs sometimes went not to those most in need, but to foreigners who could pay more for a kidney or liver.

Bequelin said that higher fees charged to foreigners were making it a lucrative business that Chinese authorities were often unwilling to police.

"This is driving so much profit and so much money that they are unwilling to intervene," Bequelin said.

In February, Japan said it was examining cases involving at least eight Japanese patients who received organ transplants in China and later fell seriously ill or died from infections and other problems after returning home.

"It is highly dangerous... if there is a medical impropriety or accident there is absolutely no recourse for the patient," Bequelin said.

China has been trying to clean up the laxly regulated transplant industry, with a law explicitly banning sales of human organs that came into effect July.

The law also requires that donors give written permission for their organs to be transplanted and restricts transplant surgery to top-ranked institutions that must verify the organs are from legal sources and that surgery is safe and justified.

Huang, the vice minister, said the country's supply of organs could not meet its demand for donations, estimating that 10,000 operations were carried out a year even though 1.5 million people needed transplants.

China is believed to carry out more court-ordered executions than all other nations who have the death penalty combined, for crimes ranging from murder to tax evasion. Amnesty International says China executed at least 1,770 people in 2005 _ about 80 percent of the world's total. China has never revealed the number of executions it carries out.

PM’s right to harp on China

An excellent piece by Peter Worthington. It is refreshing to have a PM walking the walk on Canadian values and human rights. This is good karma for Canada!

Toronto Sun - One wonders at the motives of those who are now attacking Stephen Harper for his blunt repudiation of China’s human rights record and his defence of a Canadian citizen being held by the Chinese as a terrorist.

The suggestion is that he jeopardizes Canada’s trade relations with China by his outspoken criticism, unsoftened by the “nuances” that the Liberals before him exploited to no avail, and are now so proud of.

The silly old Globe and Mail devoted a long editorial to scolding his “awkward position” on China. Odd, because it isn’t awkward at all. It’s clear and categorical. One hopes Harper’s resolve doesn’t weaken.

The Globe thinks he’s being too tough, while acknowledging that his predecessors as PM, Paul Martin and Jean Chretien (the list could stretch back toTrudeau, really), were too casual about human rights violations in China.

First of all, the complaint that Harper’s attitude could damage trade deals with Canada is not only illogical, but so obviously nonsense that one wonders how any rational person could believe it. Those who use this argument surely seem provoked by dislike of Harper, and maybe even a bit of envy at his courage to speak out.

Countries indulge in trade not because they want to help, or because they even like their trading partner, but because they benefit from it. China has invested heavily in Canada (our natural resources), and its trade relations benefit Beijing. Does anyone think they’ll cut back to punish Canada while hurting themselves? Not bloody likely.

Does anyone truly suppose China allows its citizens to come to Canada as tourists - up by 50% over last year - because it wants to help us? No way. Once again, China’s concern is China, not Canada.

As for Harper’s raising of the issue of Huseyin Celil, a refugee Uighur who is a Canadian citizen, he is not so concerned with Celil’s innocence or guilt, but with China’s brutal disregard of diplomatic niceties and international law; its failure to extend the courtesy (and right) to inform Canada, and to permit consular visits.

China may consider Celil a citizen, but he rejects Chinese citizenship - which he automatically became when China took over his country of East Turkestan and made it into a Chinese province.

If China’s claim that Celil is a terrorist and that he took part in an assassination is valid, then why the secrecy? If that could be proven, or there was even a likelihood that it was true, then Canadians would be howling at how such a person could have been allowed to enter Canada, much less become a citizen.

Remember, Beijing thinks the Dalai Lama is a terrorist leader, while we in Canada think of him as a man of infinite peace and wisdom and have made an honorary Canadian citizen.

That, too, irritates China, which sticks its nose into everyone’s business in the form of spies and informers. China harasses expatriates when occasion presents, and tries to poison the well for Falun Gong supporters, whose crime is their growing popularity within China and their belief that meditation, compassion and humanity will produce a better world.

Harper has been pretty restrained. He could have mentioned China’s money-grabbing penchant for selling human organs to those desperate and with money. Former MP David Kilgour and human rights lawyer David Matas have compiled massive evidence that Falun Gong prisoners have been used as a source for transplant kidneys, hearts, livers, corneas - something Harper hasn’t touched.

Yet.

Meanwhile, it’s business as usual. Carry on, Stephen, decency is on your side, and our bet is that Huseyin Celil will eventually be released--perhaps because of you.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Letter: No trade with China without human rights

This is a shameless self-promotion moment brought to you by BH&E...

Times Colonist: Published: Sunday, November 19, 2006

I strongly disagree with putting dollars ahead of human rights. Negotiations with China regarding approved tourism destination status have created a rare opportunity for rights groups to expose China, where torture and corruption are widespread.

Consider the recent news of organ-harvesting from live Falun Gong practitioners and Tibetans being shot like dogs at the border.

Can the free world really afford to sweep the sad reality under the carpet to sustain such a barbaric regime? It is clear that the jobs that are lost to China's cheap labour force and slavery offset the gains. We had better think twice before selling our souls to such brutal dictatorships.

Marie Beaulieu
Victoria, BC

Mr. Harper should be supported for upholding the value and principle of Canadians

MEDIA ADVISORY

Canada must not become complicit by keeping silent
and appeasing those doing evil

Ottawa - We are greatly encouraged that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is willing to undertake human rights as an essential part of Canada’s relationship with China. We applaud him for insisting on “not selling out [human rights] to the almighty dollar”.

We have been through seven years of “eradication campaign” by the Chinese Communist regime against Falun Gong knowing talking about human rights behind closed doors has only allowed complacency towards the Chinese regime’s human rights atrocities.

For the past seven years, as reported by all major human rights organizations, hundreds of thousands of innocent people were incarcerated, brainwashed and tortured, including vicious beatings, rape, freezing, burning, electric shocks, for the purpose of forcing them to renounce upright principles as vital and basic to humankind as “Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance”. Nearly 3000 practitioners are confirmed to have been tortured to death, the real number is unknown and much higher.

Amidst this horror, over 14 Canadians’ family members languish in brutal imprisonment in China today, serving sentence up to 12 years, for their practice of Falun Gong.

In addition, Mr. David Kilgour and Mr. David Matas concluded in their independent investigation report that “there has been and continues today to be large scale organ seizures from unwilling Falun Gong practitioners” by the “the government of China and its agencies in numerous parts of the country…”. The widespread killing of Falun Gong practitioners for profit to provide organs for transplants is “so shocking that it represents a new form of evil on this planet”.

This report tells the world that it must no longer underestimate and ignore the evil that these crimes against humanity represent. They are an attack on the moral conscience of all human beings. Canada must not become complicit by keeping silent and appeasing those doing evil. Mr. Harper should be supported for upholding the value and principle of Canadians.

We call on the Prime Minister and other elected officials to directly urge the regime to stop the practice of organ seizure of Falun Gong practitioners in China, and to open all detention facility for international inspection. We call for an end of the persecution and help rescue family members of Canadians who are now incarcerated for their Falun Gong beliefs.

Human rights are universal and non-negotiable. It should not be political or partisan. It is the social responsibility of all human beings including all our elected members and business people to take a righteous stand. Only by protecting the safety and well beings of our fellow world citizens can we truly protect the integrity and dignity of our own country. There truly is no other choice we can make as human beings.

Falun Dafa Association of Canada

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Horrific New Evidence of China Organ Harvesting Revealed

A Chinese military surgeon had eight Chinese citizens killed to supply a single foreign patient with a new kidney, said former Canadian Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific David Kilgour on November 14. Kilgour spoke as a special guest at the Asian Human Rights Week forum in Warsaw, on day two of a five day program.

"I am certain that at least some of these were Falun Gong practitioners who never went near a court, who were never convicted of anything," said Kilgour. (full story)


It's good to see more brave people exposing this macabre practice in China. David Kilgour will release part II of a report on organ harvesting targeting Falun Gong at the end of the year. If this is a preview of its content, then the new report should be enough to convince the free world to pay attention and take some steps toward stopping the genocide.

Related Article:

Is China Still Stealing Organs?


Chinese Diplomat Booted Out for Spying, Sources Say

This is a coup de maitre for the Falun Gong! One may wonder how many other spies are running around and doing this dirty business in Canada? Finally a government that doesn't go along with China's corruption.


Foreign Affairs rejected a Chinese official's application for renewing his diplomatic visa after he was caught compiling information on Canadians who practice Falun Gong and inciting students to help him, multiple sources familiar with the issue have told The Epoch Times. (full story)


Related Articles:

China denies spying report

Chinese envoy sent packing for 'spying' Paper says he was collecting info on Falun Gong

Diplomat spied, paper says Falun Gong practitioners targeted by China

Canada sends Chinese official home over snooping charges: Epoch Times report

Canada sends Chinese official home over snooping charges: Epoch Times report

Canada sends Chinese official home over snooping charges: Epoch Times report