July 23, 2012 | Quote
Congress in Berlin: Ethical Credibility of the International Transplantation Society, Is At Stake
The third day of the ongoing 24th International Transplant Congress stood before the ICC congress center in Berlin, an English surgeon and watched a group of people at the information desk. People in the group handed out leaflets on either stealing human organs in Chinese prisons and labor camps, or practicing meditative exercises. It was an information event on the abuse of the group of political prisoners from the ranks of supporters of the persecuted spiritual practice Falun Gong .
Advocates of spiritual group Falun Gong protest in this way against illegal organ harvesting in China for several years. In their words were tens of thousands of Falun Gong in China killed just to take their organs. The surgeon looks at a group of practitioners and says: “In transplant circles about all we know … But somehow we do not know what we can do against it. “
If this English gentleman attended the discussion that took place quite close to the Congress, would surely find some answers here. Organization “Doctors against Organ Harvesting violent” (DAFOH, Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvest) invited to Wednesday, July 18 experts to talk about unethical and illegal removal of organs and their acquisition in China.
“We must take a position, or our own ethical principles disappear,” said Dr. Harold King, a dentist and a member DAFOH in France. He described the dilemma of many physicians. Harold King also gave a lecture on the forum.
DAFOH is an international organization founded by physicians of different specialties based in Washington. The aim is to stop all DAFOH illegal organ trafficking practices in China and other countries. The organization has not received any free space in the congress center, allegedly due to lack of space, so the forum had to resort to the area in the tower of the nearby radio transmitters RBB (RadioBerlinBrandenburg).
Forum participants expressed cautious optimism about the global situation of illegal organ harvesting, which, in their words, changing for the better and even in China.
Arne Schwarz is IT expert from Switzerland and an expert on research in the medical literature, specifically directed at the illegal practice of transplantation. The forum DAFOH informed the audience about how the Western pharmaceutical companies implicated in these crimes.
While many still considered questionable whether political prisoners in China are really as organ donors, the Chinese authorities had already admitted in 2005 that 95 percent of all organs come from prisoners sentenced to death.
Arne Schwarz reminded the audience that the World Health Organization for organ transplants prescribe a voluntary approach and transparency. According to this principle therefore organs from prisoners can not be considered voluntary donations. A communist regime in China will not allow any verification on the spot.
“Ethical credibility of the international Transplantation Society, is at stake, if not take any action to stop it,” says Schwarz.
Arne Schwarz said clearly that the illegal trade in organs exists, although in many countries but in China there are two diametrical differences. Besides the high number of organs taken from China is also the only country where these illegal donations tolerated and directly supported by the state and are used to fund military hospitals.
Between 2004 and 2010, with the participation of Western and Japanese pharmaceutical companies tested drugs on 1200 cases of organ transplants, counted Dr. Schwarz. Several hospitals have been identified evidence of the death of Falun Gong due to removal of an organ.
Arne Schwarz in September 2009 Roche Pharmaceuticals velkoproducenta contacted and asked about the source of organs for drugs to immunosuppressive therapy, a well-selling medication used CellCept, which is used to prevent rejection of transplanted kidney, transplanted heart or liver transplant. The company replied by letter that “Roche is not responsible for the supply of organs. The anonymity of private sector and donors' personal information is protected by law. Roche is therefore not entitled to investigated the origin and source of transplanted organs. “
Already in 2005, a journalist from the Business Journal (Handelsblatt) interviewed a former Roche executive and current President of the Board Franz Humer, why let the company test this medicament in China. Came the laconic reply, as he wrote Journal:
“Unlike Japan, in China there are no ethical or cultural barriers to transplantation medicine.”
While Roche has completed its study, meanwhile, is planning a Canadian company Isotechnika further in the near future.
For Dr. Harold King of France is robbery authorities in the “terrible conflict to the basics of medicine, … to save lives. “
Dr. King stressed that China is the only country where you can get any body for each blood type in two weeks.
He believes that since 2001, derives the majority of organs from political prisoners who have neither been charged nor convicted. Most of them are Falun Gong practitioners. They are regarded as particularly healthy people in labor camps are exposed to direct the state's approach.
“The official position of the Chinese government is not credible,” said Dr. King, as the number of transplants in China each year exceeds the number of very death penalty.
“Serious consequences affect us all.”
For example, some desperate patients from Europe, who has no chance to obtain authority at home, could be lured to China. Would you probably know that but also become morally and possibly criminal spoluodpovědným for murder.
David Matas is an internationally recognized advocate of human rights in Canada. Together with David Kilgour, former Canadian Agent and Secretary of State for Asia and the Pacific, made the first independent inquiry into the allegations of large-scale organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners. 2006 Report was published later in book form under the title ” Bloody Harvest “and confirmed the allegations.
Matas, who was like Kilgour nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, was at the International Transplant Congress, the only speaker who presented a paper on China's illegal practices in the field of organ harvesting. Otherwise, it seems, there's no one minds.
According to the opinion formed Matasová illegal removal of organs in China, “the interface of hatred and greed.” So he gave the forum DAFOH.
State propaganda in China against Falun Gong stirring constantly hate people. It is non-political group Falun Gong meditators who live by the principles of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. Greed has been further enhanced by reducing state funding of hospitals. But also the important role played by “easy and confidential source of organs in labor camps, where there are hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong.”
Matas spoke and how it may be an end to this zločinnému actions. Recommended total boycott of Chinese doctors and Chinese medicine, transplantation, until the situation improves.
Matas advises doctors not to send their patients to China and Chinese neškolili or doctor. In addition, all Chinese doctors can not guarantee an ethical way of working, should be rejected and their scientific work should be recognized.
Promoting organ trafficking on the Internet should also end. David Matas discovered a Web site where 19 Chinese hospitals promoting their kidney transplants.
Recently released as Matas co-editor of a new book titled “State Organs” (State authorities). Book was created in collaboration with 12 authors and covers the latest findings in this area. Now is only in English.
Changes are possible, confirmed by Dr. Jacob Lavey. Dr. Lave is a heart surgeon in Israel and a member DAFOH.
Thanks to his efforts to clarify the situation of organ harvesting in China approved by the Israeli Parliament passed a law that forbids Israelis any kind of transplant tourism. In addition, Israeli law prevents any insurance reimbursement of all organ transplants performed abroad.
Since 2008, Israeli neodcestoval no patient in China due to the authorities, even before it had been one of the main objectives.
Dr. Lave notes that further progress. Most of the international Transplantation Society, meanwhile adopted a provision that prohibits any membership to anyone who was involved in illegal organ harvesting. In addition to their academic work will be shut.
Ärzteblatt (medical certificate) reported that for this Congress have been research work in China particularly thoroughly reviewed and contain almost only basic scientific material.
And it leaves most professional specializing in transplantation has not accepted any work based on data from China.
Another speaker was Ethan Gutmann, a member of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and an expert in detecting violations of human rights in China. Is the author of award-winning book “Losing the New China.”
Gutmann interviewed more than 30 witnesses who are directly or indirectly involved in the removal of organs, which he called “a crime against all humanity.”
One respected surgeon in Taiwan Gutmann “with no small degree of fear”, said that many of his patients in China received organs from Falun Gong practitioners.
There are some indications that the illegal organ harvesting in China peaked in 2006, but still have been no signs that this criminal activity was to end. Ethan Gutmann said that for the purpose of organ removal was illegal until 2008 killed at least 65,000 Falun Gong practitioners.
Gutmann was also one of the first to prove that the victims have become the only Falun Gong practitioners, as well as Tibetans, Uighurs, and some groups of Christians.
He mentioned that in November last year, while Chinese authorities have announced that for three to four years, China will no longer take any authorities convicts to death. But the political prisoners no mention.
According to Gutmann families of the victims can only be removed from the terrible burden of China's horrific crimes.