MEPs call for allegations of organ harvesting to be raised

EPP-ED Group, press release, 07/09/2006-

MEPs Edward McMillan-Scott, Simon Coveney, and Charles Tannock have today called for the EU to raise allegations of organ harvesting for sale at this weekend’s EU-China summit.

In July, David Kilgour, former Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) for Canada and David Matas, international human rights lawyer, published their ‘Report into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China’ following an independent investigation carried out into allegations that state institutions in the People’s Republic of China have been harvesting human organs of unconsenting Falun Gong Practitioners and prisoners awaiting execution.

All three MEPs met with David Kilgour in the European Parliament to discuss the report, and have continued to raise the profile of this pressing issue ever since.

Edward McMillan-Scott Vice-President of the European Parliament met a former prisoner in Beijing who claimed to have seen his friend’s cadaver after body parts had been removed.

Speaking today the MEP said: “China is a terror state run by a brutal, arbitrary and paranoid regime. Falun Gong is a peaceable movement whose members are imprisoned and tortured to renounce their practice. They are also the only category of prisoners in China to be routinely given blood, urine and blood pressure tests.”

Charles Tannock, Vice Chair of the European Parliament’s Sub Committee for Human Rights said: “These allegations are deeply disturbing and China should permit a panel of international experts to visit these labour camps and publish their findings”

Simon Coveney, EPP-ED spokesman for human rights, said: “Organ harvesting of unwilling donors if found to be true is a crime against humanity. The findings of this report are damning and almost incredulous. The sourcing of 41,000 transplants in China, for the six year period from 2000 to 2005, needs to be explained as a matter of urgency.

“I would like to see this issue being discussed in depth at this weekend’s summit in Finland. The Commission must continue to monitor the implementation of the regulation prohibiting the sale of organs and permitting organs to be transferred only voluntarily in China.”

The MEPs have written to External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero Waldner asking her to specifically raise the findings of this report with the relevant Chinese representatives at the EU-China Summit in Helsinki. They also intend on holding a hearing on the matter in the European Parliament in October.

The European Parliament today adopted a resolution which recognises China as an important trading partner with the EU while also stating that China must adhere to international standards on human rights and dignity.

For further information please contact:
Majella O Doherty EPP-ED Press Service, tel.: +32 475 752253
Simon Coveney MEP, tel.: +32 2 2845417
Edward McMillan-Scott MEP, tel.: +32 2 2845959
Charles Tannock MEP, tel: +32 2 2845870

(Original: MEPs call for allegations of organ harvesting to be raised at EU-China summit. Simon Coveney MEP, Edward McMillan-Scott MEP and Charles Tannock )

Related:
– REPORT INTO ALLEGATIONS OF ORGAN HARVESTING OF FALUN GONG PRACTITIONERS IN CHINA, David Matas & David Kilgour