China's Organ Harvesting: The Dark Reality

In recent years, a major issue in China has been harvesting of human organs. This is a controversial practice that raises moral concerns across the globe, with debates being carried out on how best the issue should be addressed. There have been numerous reports regarding organ harvesting in China causing increasing concern from the international community. The issue of this practice on Falun Gong prisoners first came into the light in the year 2006. 1 The Falun Gong people are Chinese individuals who engage in spiritual practices involving qigong exercises and meditation thus emphasizing on a moral philosophy. On this note, qigong exercises involve the cultivation of virtue and promotion of morality. Organ harvesting is a practice rumored to have begun years back. Reports show that political prisoners, who are largely Falun Gong practitioners, have fallen victims to ongoing executions. They are being put “on demand” for the sole purpose of organ harvesting. The recipients generally do not have any clue about the identities of the organ donors. Organ harvesting in China is attributed to two major reasons. The first reason is that the Communist Party of China persecutes Falun Gong because of their religious beliefs or political inclinations; hence, the victimization of Falun Gong prisoners as far as organ harvesting is concerned 2 . The second reason is that there are massive financial incentives that are available to the individuals and organizations involved in the business and trade of human organs. Organ harvesting is an inhumane act that should be stopped at all costs, with the aim of ensuring that human dignity and respect to human life is maintained. 

The source of the organs in the organ trade 

In China, it is quite evident that organs come from prisoners such as the Falun Gong. Through organ extraction operations, prisoners undergo execution and their organs are removed. It is imperative to note that organ harvesting in China is an inhumane practice that is founded on coerced consent and high levels of corruption in the government. Worse off reports have shown that some of the executed prisoners could be subjected to the painful experience of having their organs removed before succumbing to death 3 . Oftentimes, organs come from death row inmates, however international researchers and observers have expressed some major concerns about the sourcing of organs from inmates who are on death row. This comes from the fact that organ harvesting from this population is completely inhumane and an act of cruelty against humanity, owing to the fact that in many instances the death row inmates were incarcerated through extra-judicial processes based on their religious beliefs or political inclinations 4 . Such convictions are not as a result of capital crimes; hence a clear demonstration that organ harvesting in China is a merciless and inhumane act. Organ harvesting involving the Falun Gong highly differs from selling of organs through the black market because the practice is run by the state. 

The use of traded organs 

The organs harvested from Falun Gong prisoners are used for organ transplant operations. In China, thousands of surgeries involving organ transplants are carried out every year. China is a leading destination for human organs transplants according to measurements conducted of the number of surgeries. It is crucial to note that most of the surgeries involve foreigners who go to China to receive organ transplants because of the short waiting times. Organ transplantation remains to be a questionable practice in the United States, while the practice of voluntary donation of organs from the general public is considered to be extraordinarily low. 

Chinese government response and prevention efforts 

The government of China has time and time again denied the allegations regarding organ harvesting involving the killing of Falun Gong prisoners 5 . The government argues that as far as sourcing organs for transplantation is concerned, their practices adhere to the standards set by the World Health Organization. Nevertheless, the Chinese government has neither disapproved concerns nor the evidence provided by researchers on this matter. It has welcomed all alternative explanations regarding possible sources of human organs that are used in performing transplants such as liver and kidney transplants. It is crucial to note that the failure of the Chinese government to effectively respond to or address the allegations about organ harvesting has attracted a lot of attention as well as public condemnation from medical societies, international institutions and governments across the globe 6 . “ The so-called organ harvesting from death-row prisoners is totally a lie fabricated by Falun Gong. ” 7 According to this response by the Chinese government about organ harvesting it considered the allegations to unfounded rumours resulting from Falun Gong’s agitations. 

The government of China engaged in further efforts to ensure that the issue of organ harvesting from prisoners is not publicly discussed outside its borders. There have been cases whereby Chinese nationals found talking about the issue have been punished. In the year 2007, the Chinese Embassy in Canada sought to intervene against the broadcasting of a documentary about the issue of organ harvesting and Falun Gong prisoners on the CBC Television. 8 

There have been efforts to ensure that organ harvesting from prisoners in China comes to an end. The efforts are to a large extent driven by increasing pressure on the Chinese government from the international community to ensure that such inhuman practices are stopped. For example, the United States House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee and the parliaments of European Union and Canada have adopted resolutions focused on condemning the practice of organ harvesting involving the Falun Gong prisoners. The Chinese government has been requested by the “United Nations Special Rapporteurs” to provide information about where transplant organs come from. 9 Furthermore, the Transplantation Society, the American Society of Transplantation and the World Medical Association have called for the sanctioning of medical authorities in China. A number of nations have taken measures to prevent their citizens from going to China to receive organ transplant. The Chinese government needs to establish clear laws that govern the sourcing of transplant organs and ensure that there is transparency in keeping and maintain records pertaining to human organ transplantation. It should include keeping clear records of organ transplant donors and recipients. 

Bibliography 

Caplan, Arthur. "The use of prisoners as sources of organs–an ethically dubious practice." The American Journal of Bioethics 11, no. 10 (2011): 1-5. 

Casil, Janice. "Falun Gong and China's human rights violations." Peace Review 16, no. 2 (2004): 225-230. 

Ching, Julia. "The Falun Gong: religious and political implications." American Asian Review 19, no. 4 (2001): 1. 

Freeze, Colin. "CBC Pulls Falun Gong Documentary." The Globe and Mail. Last modified November 8, 2007. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/cbc-pulls-falun-gong-documentary/article697294/. 

"House Panel Calls on China to End Organ Harvesting." Yahoo. Accessed December 3, 2016. https://www.yahoo.com/news/house-panel-calls-china-end-organ-harvesting-161027380.html?ref=gs. 

Matas, David, and David Kilgour. Bloody harvest: Revised report into allegations of organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners in China . Falun Dafa Information Center, 2007. 

Rahn, Patsy. "The chemistry of a conflict: the Chinese government and the Falun Gong." Terrorism and Political Violence 14, no. 4 (2002): 41-65. 

Sharif, A., M. Fiatarone Singh, T. Trey, and J. Lavee. "Organ procurement from executed prisoners in China." American Journal of Transplantation 14, no. 10 (2014): 2246-2252. 

Tibell, Annika. "The Transplantation Society's policy on interactions with China." Transplantation 84, no. 3 (2007): 292-294. 

1 David, Matas and Kilgour David, “ Bloody harvest: Revised report into allegations of organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners in China” ( Falun Dafa Information Center, 2007), 17. 

2 Julia, Ching. “The Falun Gong: religious and political implications” ( American Asian Review 19, no. 4, 2001), 1. 

3 Sharif et al., “Organ procurement from executed prisoners in China."( American Journal of Transplantation 14, no. 10 (2014), 2248. 

4 Janice, Casil. "Falun Gong and China's human rights violations."( Peace Review 16, no. 2. 2004), 227. 

5 Patsy, Rahn. The chemistry of a conflict: the Chinese government and the Falun Gong." ( Terrorism and Political Violence 14, no. 4. 2002), 50. 

6 Annika Tibel “The Transplantation Society's policy on interactions with China” ( Transplantation 84, no. 3 2007), 293. 

7 "House Panel Calls on China to End Organ Harvesting," Yahoo, accessed December 3, 2016, https://www.yahoo.com/news/house-panel-calls-china-end-organ-harvesting-161027380.html?ref=gs. 

8 

Colin Freeze, "CBC Pulls Falun Gong Documentary," The Globe and Mail, last modified November 8, 2007, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/cbc-pulls-falun-gong-documentary/article697294/. 

9 Arthur, Caplan. "The use of prisoners as sources of organs–an ethically dubious practice." ( The American Journal of Bioethics 11, no. 10. 2011), 3.