China involved in harvesting organs: Cdn. report

CTV, Candada/July 4, 2006
By Roger Smith

A Canadian report, set for release Thursday, will support accusations that China is harvesting the vital organs of imprisoned Falun Gong dissidents, CTV News has learned.

Siding with critics of the Chinese government, former Liberal MP David Kilgour is now convinced that controversial allegations of organ harvesting are true.

"They take both kidneys, then the heart and the skin and the corneas and the liver, and your body is then thrown in the incinerator," Kilgour said.

Falun Gong, a quasi-religious movement that's outlawed in China, claims thousands of their imprisoned members have been murdered with their vital organs taken out to supply a booming trade in transplants.

Backed by MPs from all parties, Kilgour and human rights lawyer David Matas agreed to investigate the allegations in May.

"I don't think anyone can have any doubt that this unbelievable practice is continuing," Kilgour said of his findings.

As evidence, the former MP points to transcripts of phone calls to Chinese doctors, with Falun Gong supporters posing as rich foreigners looking for a transplant.

One transcript reads:

"Do you have Falun Gong organ suppliers?"

"We used to have, yes."

"What about now?"

"Yes."

Kilgour outlined how much the organs can fetch on the black market.

"$62,000 for a kidney, $98,000 to $130,000 for a liver," he said.

The Chinese deny the allegations, insisting that Kilgour has been duped by Falun Gong.

"These allegations are based on lies," Chinese diplomat Zhang Weidong said.

The UN and Amnesty International are also investigating but neither has come up with enough solid evidence to reach the same conclusion as Kilgour.

"Right now, it's insufficient (the evidence) for us to confirm or deny these allegations," said Amnesty International's Alain Roy.

At the launch of the investigation last May, Matas said the plan was to "interview personally whatever witnesses are available in North America," and to ask the Chinese government to grant Kilgour and him visas so that they could investigate in China.

It is unclear if they actually visited China as their initial request did not garner a response by the Chinese embassy.

Kilgour and Matas plan to hand their report to the government on Thursday along with recommendations for diplomatic pressure and sanctions on China.