Case Specifics Point to Reason of Death: Organ Harvesting

The global condemnation of forced organ harvesting in China is on the rise, yet the magnitude of this heinous state-sanctioned crime is still to be fully exposed. For the Falun Gong practitioners who are being persecuted in China, more and more specifics point to a likely reason for some death cases—organ harvesting. Mr. Peng Min's case is one such example.

One day after being injected with unknown drugs, Mr. Peng died at a hospital, at around 1:00 a.m. on April 6th, 2001. Prior to that, the hospital had performed an unauthorised surgery on him, after he became paralysed due to torture. The surgery left him with a large hole in his lower back, which was never treated.

The hospital refused to perform an autopsy, and without permission from the family, worked with police to have his body immediately cremated. Mr. Peng's mother suspected that the “medical treatment” at the hospital directly led to her son's death.

Back in 2001, organ harvesting was beyond anyone's wildest imagination. With all the information now exposed, organ harvesting is clearly the most plausible explanation for Mr. Peng's death.

Unlawful and Unethical Medical Practice

Just when Mr. Peng had gradually regained his ability to eat, drink, and speak, after his mother brought him home from the Qingling Detention Centre, where he had been paralysed due to torture, the Wuhan City Police Department dispatched 30 officers to arrest Mr. Peng and take him to the Wuhan No. 7 Hospital. There he was sent directly to an operating room.

After the unauthorised surgery, Mr. Peng was isolated in a small room at the end of a hallway in the orthopaedic department of the hospital. Police officers and 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) personnel detained Mr. Peng's mother and brother at the hospital, claiming that they were needed to care for Mr. Peng. In reality, they were held to prevent them from spreading word about the injustices taking place.

Police officers monitored the family around the clock to prevent any outside contact, but three friends managed to successfully visit Mr. Peng in March, and they saw the large hole in his lower back. Mr. Peng’s mother informed them that the hole had appeared after the mysterious surgery, and that the hospital had never treated the wound.

Why was there a large hole in Mr. Peng’s lower back, especially since he had no medical condition to warrant surgery? It is likely that the hospital harvested one of Mr. Peng’s kidneys for transplantation.

Mr. Peng lost all feeling from the neck down after the surgery, yet the doctors were not concerned in the least. They even said plainly to his family that Mr. Peng would remain in the hospital until he died. The behaviour of the medical personnel in the hospital was suspicious.

Mr. Peng was injected with unknown drugs on the morning of April 5th, 2001, and died around 1:00 a.m. on April 6th. His body was immediately isolated and transferred, and his family was never allowed to see the body. The authorities had the body cremated on the morning of April 7th. Mr. Peng’s mother died soon after, the cause of death unknown.

Mr. Peng Detained and Tortured

Mr. Peng was beaten repeatedly at the Qingling Detention Centre because he refused to give up his belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, the principles of Falun Gong, and for doing the five sets of exercises.

Warden Xiong Jihua, other guards, and inmates brutally tortured Mr. Peng under the direction of detention centre authorities. They dragged him, and banged his head against a wall, causing him to lose consciousness. They beat him, delivering heavy blows to his head, and kicked him front and back. Xu often ordered the inmates to beat Mr. Peng with no concern for his injuries. Guard Zhu Handong ordered inmates to hold him down on a bed and strike his backside with shoes.

Mr. Peng developed two, 13–15 centimetre (5–6 inch) pustules on his backside and left leg in August 2000. Not only did Mr. Peng not receive treatment, the guards even instructed the inmates to use the opportunity to “teach him a lesson.” A dozen inmates held him down on a bed and took turns squeezing and aggravating the pustules, causing him great pain. Mr. Peng could subsequently not fall asleep for an entire month.

Mr. Peng was beaten and verbally abused for an entire day by guards and a dozen inmates in January 2001. They crushed his limbs and fifth vertebrate in his back, and fractured his neck, causing him to lose consciousness. He was taken to the Wuhan No. 3 Hospital. He survived but became paralysed.

Repercussions for Persecutors

The Wuhan No. 7 Hospital cooperated with state-run media to fabricate news and deceive the public about this case. The hospital told the media that the police had saved Mr. Peng after he jumped from a building. Even the staff in the orthopaedic department believed the lies and assisted police by refusing the family’s request for an autopsy, as well as expediting the cremation. The staff assisted the Chinese authorities in persecuting a Falun Gong practitioner, thereby committing a serious crime.

The Wuhan No. 7 Hospital has now been bought out by the Asian Cardiology Hospital and renamed the Asia Cardiology No. 7 Hospital. Jin Jianping, director of the orthopaedic department, suffered a stroke and became partially paralysed two-and-a-half years ago. In addition, some of staff members were laid off, and one was diagnosed with cancer.

What goes around truly does come back around. Those who have persecuted Falun Gong practitioners have committed serious crimes and will be punished. I hope that people will see the facts and do what is right.