13 June 2006 - Green Party Euro-MP Caroline Lucas has called on China to halt the use of ‘donated’ organs from executed prisoners – and systematic ‘organ harvesting’ from incarcerated Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience.

Dr Lucas, who has signed a petition calling for the United Nations and World Health Authority to investigate, said: “Organ transplants have saved thousands of lives and have the potential to save millions more – but the organs used must be freely donated in accordance with international human rights law.

“China is reported to be offering an ‘organ matching service’ implying a systematic organ harvesting policy, and trading in the body parts of executed prisoners who have not given consent to such donations.

“This is a fundamental breach of human rights and must be stamped out immediately.”

The MEP’s intervention comes after reports of mass harvesting of organs from Falun Gong practitioners held in a Chinese concentration camp. According to the Chinese reports, organs are removed from prisoners whilst they are still alive and their bodies then destroyed in on-site crematorium. Previous media coverage has exposed similar practices at Suijatun camp in Liaoning Province .

As well as being a horrific breach of human rights, any use of executed prisoners’ organs contravenes a 1998 European Parliamentary resolution which condemned the practice and called on the EU Commission and member state governments to initiate an international ban on the trade of human organs, and to establish an international committee of enquiry to investigate the trade.

Last month the EU Commission’s External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner wrote to Dr Lucas, admitting little had been done and dismissing recent reports from China as unfounded.

Dr Lucas added: “It seems the illegal trade in human organs for transplant is flourishing in China , and political prisoners are being executed in an ‘organ harvesting’ process.

“I call on the UN’s Human Rights Committee and the World Health Authority to investigate immediately, and the EU to take the lead on establishing an international framework for halting the practice once and for all.”

ENDS

For additional reporting on the illegal trade, see here.

 Read Caroline’s letter to the European Commission and the response.