South Koreans were one of the largest consumer groups of organ transplants in China, indirectly contributing to the unethical organ harvesting market there, speakers at a seminar said.
The data on organ transplants were presented at the “Vital Link seminar,” hosted by the Korean Society for Transplantation, Vital Link, Korea Organ Donation Network, and the Korea Organ Donation Agency, at Seoul National University Hospital on Thursday.
Organ trafficking has long been a problem around the world. China also has had a long, troubled history with organ transplantations since 1972 following the first operations on prisoners.
Organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners
The Chinese government, in particular, had fielded allegations of organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners. Falun Gong is a spiritual practice based on moral principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance that rose to prominence in the 1990s, gaining around 100 million practitioners by 1999.
The Chinese government began cracking down on Falun Gong practitioners because of it's rapid growth and spiritual teachings. Authorities finally persecuted thousands of Falun Gong practitioners, subjecting them to torture, forced labor, organ harvesting, and psychological abuse in 1999.
Following the persecution, two central figures – former Canadian Secretary of State David Kilgour and human rights lawyer David Matas - published a report titled the “Bloody Harvest,” which showed a large number of Falun Gong practitioners were killed for organ harvesting. Some 65,000 followers were estimated to be killed for their organs from 2000 to 2008, drawing outcry from international organizations such as the World Health Organization.
In response to unethical organ harvesting
The continuing problem finally led more than 150 experts and officials from 78 countries to sign the Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism in April 2008, to define organ trafficking, transplant tourism, and commercialism, and address the shortage of organs.
Some international organizations have since come up with reports and other materials that shed light on organ trafficking. These groups include the WHO, International Coalition End Transplant Abuse in China, China Organ Harvest Research Center, International Association for Ethical Organ Transplants, and Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, among others.
In the U.S., Georgia’s House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution in March, which condemned the “systemic and state-sanction organ harvesting [in China] from prisoners of conscience,” according to the Epoch Times.
Despite international calls to crack down on organ harvesting, illegal organ transplants have continued in China since 2000, according to Han Hee-chul from Korea University College of Medicine and member of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting.
Please see the rest on the newspaper website.
South Koreans were one of the largest consumer groups of organ transplants in China, indirectly contributing to the unethical organ harvesting market there, speakers at a seminar said.
The data on organ transplants were presented at the “Vital Link seminar,” hosted by the Korean Society for Transplantation, Vital Link, Korea Organ Donation Network, and the Korea Organ Donation Agency, at Seoul National University Hospital on Thursday.
Organ trafficking has long been a problem around the world. China also has had a long, troubled history with organ transplantations since 1972 following the first operations on prisoners.
Organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners
The Chinese government, in particular, had fielded allegations of organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners. Falun Gong is a spiritual practice based on moral principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance that rose to prominence in the 1990s, gaining around 100 million practitioners by 1999.
The Chinese government began cracking down on Falun Gong practitioners because of it's rapid growth and spiritual teachings. Authorities finally persecuted thousands of Falun Gong practitioners, subjecting them to torture, forced labor, organ harvesting, and psychological abuse in 1999.
Following the persecution, two central figures – former Canadian Secretary of State David Kilgour and human rights lawyer David Matas - published a report titled the “Bloody Harvest,” which showed a large number of Falun Gong practitioners were killed for organ harvesting. Some 65,000 followers were estimated to be killed for their organs from 2000 to 2008, drawing outcry from international organizations such as the World Health Organization.
In response to unethical organ harvesting
The continuing problem finally led more than 150 experts and officials from 78 countries to sign the Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism in April 2008, to define organ trafficking, transplant tourism, and commercialism, and address the shortage of organs.
Some international organizations have since come up with reports and other materials that shed light on organ trafficking. These groups include the WHO, International Coalition End Transplant Abuse in China, China Organ Harvest Research Center, International Association for Ethical Organ Transplants, and Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, among others.
In the U.S., Georgia’s House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution in March, which condemned the “systemic and state-sanction organ harvesting [in China] from prisoners of conscience,” according to the Epoch Times.
Despite international calls to crack down on organ harvesting, illegal organ transplants have continued in China since 2000, according to Han Hee-chul from Korea University College of Medicine and member of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting.
Please see the rest on the newspaper website.