Written Question E-3453/06 by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE), Simon Coveney (PPE-DE) and Edward McMillan-Scoot (PPE-DE) to the Commission
Subject: Allegations of organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners in China
On July 6th, 2006, David Matas and David Kilgour, both Canadian lawyers, published their ‘Report into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China’ following an independent investigation they carried out into the very disturbing stories leaking out of China that allegedly state institutions in the People’s Republic of China have been harvesting human organs from innocent unconsenting live Falun Gong Practitioners and killing the practitioners in the process by extra-judicial executions during the organ removal process. This is allegedly followed by rapid cremation of the mutilated bodies to destroy all evidence of the crime and it is also alleged that this is occurring in large numbers and in a deliberate and systematic way.
Organ harvesting targeted at an unwilling particular group of individuals is a horrendous crime violating all international legal norms and the Chinese Government has rigorously denied such allegations. Is the Commission aware of these serious allegations, has it read the report cited and will it ask the Commission Delegation in China to investigate matters further and report back if there is any truth behind this?
Answer E-3453/06EN given by Mrs. Ferrero-Waldner on behalf of the Commission (15.09.2006)
The Commission is fully aware of the allegations of trafficking of organs of prisoners sentenced to death in certain Chinese camps. It has not found, at present, any concrete evidence in support of these allegations and will investigate further. Should these allegations be confirmed, The Commission would urgently raise the issue with its Chinese counterpart in the most appropriate manner.
In the meantime, the EU has more strongly focused on the Chinese government’s general practice of harvesting organs for use in medical transplant procedures and has assessed the issue against the backdrop of the new Chinese regulation on human organ transplants issued by the Ministry of Heath, which became effective on the 1st of July 2006. In the EU’s opinion, this legislation does not adequately address the issue of donor consent, particularly for those who have died in custody or have been executed.
The EU has made and will continue to make its concerns known to the Chinese government both through the bilateral dialogue on human rights and wider political channels. It will closely follow this matter with a view to assuring that any donation of organs is subject to the formal consent of the donor.
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