Bumper Harvests In China, Part 2

Posted by on . 6 comments.

In July, we reported that a respected Canadian human rights lawyer, David Matas, and a former Canadian cabinet member, David Kilgour, had issued a report supporting charges that China has been killing Falun Gong dissidents, and harvesting and selling their organs.

A spirited argument broke out in the comments section between two readers, one of whom vehemently denied the charges as being anti-Chinese propaganda orchestrated by Falun Gong members.

Now the BBC confirms these reports on the strength of an undercover investigation they conducted:

The sale of organs taken from executed prisoners appears to be thriving in China, an undercover investigation by the BBC has found.

Organs from death row inmates are sold to foreigners who need transplants.

One hospital said it could provide a liver at a cost of £50,000 ($94,400), with the chief surgeon confirming an executed prisoner could be the donor.

China’s health ministry did not deny the practice, but said it was reviewing the system and regulations.

The BBC‘s Rupert Wingfield-Hayes visited No 1 Central Hospital in Tianjin, ostensibly seeking a liver for his sick father.

Officials there told him that a matching liver could be available in three weeks.

One official said that the prisoners volunteered to give their organs as a “present to society”.

He said there was currently an organ surplus because of an increase in executions ahead of the 1 October National Day.
[…]
In March, China’s foreign ministry admitted that organs from prisoners were used, but said that it was only in “a very few cases”.

Spokesman Qin Gang said that the organs were not taken forcibly, but only with the express permission of the convict.

But whether prisoners really are free to make up their own minds on organ donation just before they are executed is not at all clear, our correspondent says.

In April 2006, top British transplant surgeons condemned the practice as unacceptable and a breach of human rights.

But the No 1 Central Hospital carried out 600 liver transplants last year, our correspondent says, and the organ transplant industry has become big business.

Readers are politely advised that complaints about the veracity of this story are best addressed to the BBC directly.

Just in passing, it strikes me that the Bush administration could take a leaf from China’s book. In order to forestall ugly accusations by those who are too quick to assume the worst about the Bush regime, before the CIA encourages detainees to practice their conversational skills with people who have questioning minds, they should simply have the detainees sign a consent form.

Comments

  1. bobby fletcher says:
    September 28, 2006 at 1:43 pm

    First of all thank you for blogging this. Efforts such as yours will help bring the question of China’s human rights abuse to the forefront of public consciousness, and bring facts into light.

    While China’s human rights records should be examined, I would like to urge you to look into all the facts of the case, regarding the concentration camp allegation made by the religious sect Falun Gong, and promoted by Mr. Kilgour.

    I have been following this story since March. I researched this matter after being given a flyer in Chinatown – and I have found many problems with this allegation.

    In my opinion Falun Gong’s actions not only discredited their own cause, they also detracted from honest examination of China’s problems. Falun Gong’s indictment muddles the rational discussion of issues such as China’s legal reform, and Chinese society’s moral, ethical standards on dignity and treatment of the condemned.

    It is in this spirit I would like to bring to your attention some contrarian facts surrounding Falun Gong’s recent media activity:

    - US State Department investigated and found Falun Gong’s Sujiatun/Auschwitz allegation not credible. (1)

    - A Congressional brief on China and Falun Gong questioned the veracity of Falun Gong’s claim of targeted genocide, and credibility of the Kilgour report, including questionable evidence and the fact Mr. Kilgour’s investigation was at the behest of a Falun Gong group in Washington DC that is evidently political. (2)

    - Long time Chinese dissident and ant-CCP activist, Mr. Harry Wu, investigated the allegation and found Falun Gong’s witness unreliable. (3)

    - The hospital Falun Gong accused is partly owned by a Malaysian health care company, Country Heights Health Sanctuary, and is subject to oversight beyond Chinese authority. Malay officials have documented prior year visit, and the facility has been open to public for years. (4)

    - The Kilgour report admitted gory photo used by Falun Gong for shock value, are not evidence of torture or vivisection.

    Specifically in the Kilgour report, Appendix 12 Case 1 – photo of Mr. Wang Bin. Pathologist review contradicted Falun Gong’s claim. (5) Even according to Falun Gong’s own evidence, an autopsy was performed as part of Mr. Wang’s murder investigation held by local authority. (6)

    Another photo that is widely mis-used by Falun Gong is of Mr. Liu Yufeng, it too does not prove torture or vivisection. In reality these autopsy photos prove the opposite is true. The Chinese government was not complacent and investigated death of citizens while under police custody.

    In conclusion, while China’s human rights record should be examined, writing allegory of “Schindler’s List” is not the way. If we in the west can not be precise with our accusation, only resort of nefarious political indictment – why should anyone take what we say seriously?

    Sincerely,

    References:
    1)
    http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=April&x=20060416141157uhyggep0.5443231&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html

    2) “The Collateral of Suppression”, a report critical of China written for Senator Dianne Feinstein, member of Congressional Executive Committee on China (CECC), where congressional researchers Emma Ashburn and Thomas Lum were quoted.

    3) http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20060806_1.htm
    http://www.cicus.org/news/newsdetail.php?id=6492

    4)
    http://crc.gov.my/clinicalTrial/documents/Proposal/TCM_Stroke%20TrialProtocol%20synopsis.pdf (page 3)

    5) Review by Dr. Friedlander, Chairman of Pathology Dept. at Kansas City University of Medicine.

    Specifically, the Kilgour Report Appendix 12, Case 1 involving Mr. Wang Bin, where the photo showed ‘Y’ incisions in the neck and baseball stitch suture, which are typical of autopsy. The fact organ removal by medical examiner during autopsy is routine, is omitted.

    6) http://clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2000/11/16/6164.html

  2. sarabeth says:
    September 28, 2006 at 2:00 pm

    This post was not about Falun Gong or Matas-Kilgour. It was about the BBC story.

    Not one single thing you said relates to the BBC story (which, you don’t seem to have noticed, doesn’t refer to Falun Gong at all).

  3. bobby fletcher says:
    September 29, 2006 at 10:38 am

    You said the “Now the BBC confirms these reports”.

    How does the BBC story commenting on China’s moral, ethical standards on dignity and treatment of the condemned, and doesn’t mention FLG or Kilgour, confirm their allegation of targeted genocide, vivisection?

  4. matt says:
    September 29, 2006 at 10:43 am

    last time this somehow managed to escape my notice, but it isn’t going to happen again, not here anyway.

  5. bobby fletcher says:
    September 29, 2006 at 4:10 pm

    I would like to point out the fact “ability to pay” is a compelling factor in our own organ transplant industry, no less so than China. In US the uninsured are left out of the organ wait list, while the rich go on wait list and receive organs in days or weeks, too.

    It is refered to as “wallet biopsy”. 2004 clinical data from ustransplant.org shows thousands of patients in US (top 10% of wait list) averaged a 10 day wait period for liver transplant.

    Does that mean we too are selling organs?

    As to the BBC reporter’s cliam it’s not possible for the condemned in China to consent to donation, I would like to point out that China is not the only country that allows the death row inmate to donate organ. In US it is allowed on a case-by-case basis.

    For reference, here’s a report I found in the Chinese media, about a guy who turned himself in for killing his wife’s lover. Before he was to pay with his life, he decided to donate his organ as last act of redemption, and willed the organ donation compensation fund paid by the state to the victim’s family. In his interview he indicated the reason he called for press is to help bring awareness to organ donation in China:

    http://news.sina.com.cn/s/p/2006-03-20/12299394605.shtml

    Many such cases exists in China:

    http://www.baidu.com/s?ie=gb2312&bs=%CB%C0%C7%F4+%BE%E8+%C6%F7%B9%D9&sr=&z=&cl=3&f=8&wd=%CB%C0%C7%F4+%BE%E8+%C6%F7%B9%D9+%C2%C9%CA%A6&ct=0

    Some people would simply disregard Chinese media’s reporting about themselves, insisting on what they know about China, like Buddhist culture and people’s desire to die “whole” (probably learned from the movie “The Last Emperor”.)

    It probably is still true to some degree, but folks forget most Chinese are not criminals. Does one really believe “wholeness” applies to criminals in Buddhism? Above article demonstrates a common rationale for the condemned to consent to organ donation – the Buddhist desire for redemption.

    Chinese culture and Buddhist religious foundation makes organ donation difficult to promote. However the condemned often seek redemption and last act of contribution to family and society, under the same cultural and religious foundation.

    Yes, the Chinese government’s organ donation compensation fund seems to be direct at this population, but its aim is to promote organ donation by the population at large.

    You may find faults in it. But who are we to deny their reality, and self-righteously accuse them with our western sensitivity?

    I believe it is fair to say this issue is not only debatable, the Chinese are debating it – as the above search engine results show a range of opinions.

    To me this really demonstrates that China’s problems isn’t all that black and white. China too have their dilemmas and choices, and their own history to evaluate (and overcome).

    In contrast, to condemn China with emotionally satisfying conclusion only serves ones ego, I submit.

  6. Makina says:
    April 10, 2007 at 8:17 pm

    Hey guys,

    I thought you might be interested in reading this piece about Bobby Fletcher/Charles Liu who’s commented on your blog. He’s been all over the blogosphere discrediting the organ harvesting report. Have a look.

    Western Standard (Alberta): Sowing Confusion; Embarrassed by reports of live organ harvesting, China’s sympathizers launch a high-tech disinformation campaign
    http://organharvestinvestigation.net/media/WesternStandard_040907.htm

    April 9, 2007 Monday
    Final Edition

    HEADLINE: Sowing Confusion; Embarrassed by reports of live organ harvesting,

    China’s sympathizers launch a high-tech disinformation campaign

    BYLINE: Kevin Steel, Western Standard

    He posts his messages everywhere under several different names on Internet blogs and discussion groups. He writes letters to the editor anywhere and sends e-mails to anyone–anyone who might take seriously shocking evidence that the Chinese government “harvests” and sells live organs from political prisoners. His main message is that the Falun Gong–the group which first brought evidence of live organ harvesting to light–and the Epoch Times newspaper that broke that story are spreading propaganda against China’s Communist government. And he’s not even Chinese. He is Charles Liu, a 40-year-old Taiwanese-born technology consultant who lives in Issaquah, Wash., and does business in China.

    Liu has been so active and so pro-Beijing in his writings that some Falun Gong supporters–in particular Epoch Times reporter Jana Shearer–have accused him of being an agent for the Chinese government, waging a disinformation campaign against them, trying to confuse people, and deliberately wasting everyone’s time.

    It’s a charge that upsets Liu, who dismisses it as “a bunch of kooky friends making unfounded accusations. It’s just a bunch of blog BS.” As for why he devotes so much energy to attacking the Falun Gong and the organ harvesting allegations, he says, “My position is that I simply don’t agree with their brand of politics, because I observed their politics turning from anti-Communist party, to anti-China, . . . and recently it’s morphed into this anti-Chinese hysteria and that’s going to be hurting people,” he says. As an Asian-American, he says he decided to speak up.

    He doesn’t really explain, when asked, why he started a blog last year called “The Myth of Tiananmen Square Massacre” under the name of Bobby Fletcher (one of his online aliases, which he also uses to comment on the Western Standard’s online blog). On that blog, he pushes the minimal 250 casualty figure that the Chinese government has always maintained died that night in 1989 (more reliable estimates put the figure at at least ten times that).

    Liu’s actions mirror disinformation campaigns waged by the Chinese government in the past. Typically, these include the deliberate spreading of false or misleading facts to sow confusion or doubt among the conflicting accounts. The classic example is the Tiananmen Square massacre; the Chinese government has maintained that no one died in the square itself, that there was only pushing and shoving on the streets around the square, resulting in a few military casualties. Overseas, the CCP relies on its United Front Work department, part of the Chinese intelligence service, to propagate its message. During the Cold War, the Soviets employed many overseas flunkies through their Disinformation Department.

    Former Canadian MP David Kilgour, who co-authored a report on China’s macabre organ harvesting industry, has received many propaganda e-mails from Liu. For instance, Liu has written repeatedly that a U.S. congressional committee looked into the organ harvesting allegations and found nothing.

    “[David] Matas and I gave evidence to that subcommittee and got support from both the Republican chairman and the Democratic vice-chair,” says Kilgour. “I just came to the conclusion he was trying to waste my time, and I have other things to do.”

    Winnipeg-based human rights lawyer, and Kilgour’s co-author, David Matas, really doesn’t know what to make of Liu. “I don’t know who he is, but what he does is spend a lot of time replicating nonsense to defend the Chinese government,” Matas says.

    The only concern Matas has is that Liu seems to know who he and Kilgour met with in the United States to discuss their report. Matas discovered Liu had sent e-mails to politicians–and their staff–prior to the meetings. “The only people who would have that information would potentially be the Chinese government. I can’t imagine how Liu would know we were meeting with those people,” Matas says. “We’re not super-secretive, but you can’t find information on the Internet or in any public place about who we’re meeting with, where and when.” He himself has received at least 10 e-mails from Liu, all of which he’s ignored. Maybe Matas is onto something with that approach.

    GRAPHIC:
    Colour Photo: CP, Dave Cahn; David Kilgour (left) and David Matas, co-authors of a report on China’s organ harvesting industry: How does Liu know who they’re meeting with?

    LOAD-DATE: March 29, 2007