Human Rights counsel gets involved. Alleged victims are Falun Gong members
Geneva: Against China’s wishes, the United Nations Organization’s (“UNO”) Human Rights Counsel in Geneva is looking into the alleged organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners. The UNO rapporteur for torture, the Austrian Manfred Nowak, will investigate the grave accusations.
“The responses by the Chinese authorities to our inquiries are disappointing,” said the Canadian Human Rights lawyer David Mata on Tuesday in Geneva. “They insult us instead of disproving the accusations.”
Matas and the former Canadian Member of Parliament David Kilgour published in July a noteworthy report, according to which prisoners are killed for their organs, which then are sold for profit. The victims are the members of the Falun Gong movement which is banned in China.
The report was presented to many UNO officers, who are involved among others with torture allegations, religious freedom and cases of people who disappeared. The UNO special rapporteur for torture, Nowak, agreed according to Matas to look into the allegations.
No Evidence
Matas conceded that there is no evidence of criminal organ harvesting on a grand scale. But, there is also no evidence that would dispel such allegations. Among others, the fact is that according to the report the organ supply increased with the event of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.
China has been well known as a centre for organ trade for some time. The business is lucrative, especially in Taiwan and Hong Kong, where the demand is high. For example, a kidney goes for $62,000, a liver for $130,000, a lung for more than $150,000, and a heart from $160,000.
Originally published in German at: http://www.clearharmony.de/articles/200609/33971.html
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