Falun Gong, Forced Organ Harvesting in China, and How This Directly Affects the UK
November 5th, 2024: A hearing held at the House of Lords explored how the issue of the Chinese Communist Party’s authoritarian nature and human rights atrocities committed against Falun Gong affects not only China, but also directly the UK. The panel also discussed the UK’s response to these atrocities in China, including a commitment to end forced organ harvesting and how to prevent UK complicity from the perspective of international law.
The key speakers included:
- Lord Alton of Liverpool – Cross Bench Peer. Vice Chairman of the All Party Groups on Hong Kong, Uyghurs, Yazidis, Tibet, Rohingya, Burma, Haiti, Pakistan and War Crimes. Founder and Vice Chair of the All Party Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Co-author of “State Responses to Crimes of Genocide”.
- Marie Rimmer CBE MP – Labour Member of Parliament. Marie has been dedicated to the issue of ending forced organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience, including initiating a change in UK law in 2022 to prevent commercial organ tourism to countries such as China.
- Dr David Matas – International human rights lawyer, co-author of “Bloody Harvest”, Nobel Peace Prize nominee for his extensive work on forced organ harvesting in China and co-founder of the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China.
- Eleanor Stephenson – British Barrister specialising in international criminal law and human rights. Contributing expert for the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China.
- Fei Han – (accompanied by daughter Hui) – Falun Gong prisoner of conscience, now living in the UK. Fei Han escaped China in 2023.
- Tianxin – Falun Gong prisoner of conscience, now living in the UK. Tianxin escaped China earlier this year, 2024
David Matas presented a plan of action for the UK to combat organ transplant abuse in China. The plan of action had two components. One was for prohibiting UK complicity in organ transplant abuse in China. The other was contributing to the effort to end transplant abuse in China.
Click HERE to view the full speech by David Matas.
Excerpts from the speech below:
…In principle, Parliament could enact a law which applies to foreigners who committed their crimes abroad, as long as subsequently they show up in the United Kingdom. The UK has that sort of legislation now for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
Forced organ harvesting directed against prisoners of conscience is arguably a crime against humanity, and a genocide as a mass killing of part of the group to which the victims belong. Nonetheless, rather than leave the matter to interpretation and debate, the criminal law of forced organ harvesting could and should be extended to any person within the jurisdiction of the UK, no matter where the offence was committed.
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Even without legislation, all elements of UK society should avoid complicity with organ transplant abuse in China with prisoner of conscience victims. Avoiding complicity means avoiding collaboration which facilitates the abuse.
UK hospitals, doctors and nurses should not be training doctors or nurses to engage in transplantation in China. UK health professionals should not be going to China for transplantation conferences, training or presentations. Chinese transplant professionals should not be invited to attend conferences, give lectures or participate in training in the UK. UK medical journals should not be publishing Chinese transplant research unless the sourcing of organs referenced in the research is verifiably clear and proper. ….
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The United Nations General Assembly Third Committee in recent years has been the forum of a number of joint statements criticising human rights violations in China. …
These statements too represent an opportunity to show China that, despite their implausible reactions, concerns remain. Next time round, the UK should make every effort to ensure that the joint statement refers to concerns about forced organ harvesting in China with prisoner of conscience victims.
Eleanor Stephenson emphasised that with the new government, the UK is at crossroads with China and that this is “perfect time to gain a better understanding of the nature of the Chinese regime in order to develop an appropriate relationship with China while still protecting and preserving [the UK’s] own interests and values.”
Click HERE to view the full speech by Eleanor Stephenson on David Alton’s website
Excerpts from the speech below:
…[an] approach that we are taking now is to look at ways we can create pressure on the CCP from inside China. We are doing this via looking at ways the western medical sector is facilitating FOH. If we can find collaborations with China and dismantle those partnerships that in turn will ostracize the Chinese medical community from the international one and they will not like that.
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We recently tried to bring an amendment in the new UK procurement act which would have forced companies to do due diligence on their supply chains but the Government fought us all the way and decided it was too onerous on businesses.
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When we tried to pass the last amendment to make companies look at their supply chains the former Government opposed us and said things such as “there is no evidence that supplies end up in FOH operations”. It was just incredibly unhelpful and showed they were not willing to engage on the issue. Of course there is no evidence of it because China doesn’t let anyone in to investigate and the companies are not at this moment in time obliged to report on what they’re doing. So we need to the new Government to stand behind us.
Now everyone has to act: not just the medical professionals but the UK government. Otherwise unless they act now the institutions and those that work in them may well find themselves associated with crimes against humanity and of course the effect of that would be hugely devastating.
