China Admits Use of Death-Row Organs 309
h.ross.perot writes "Like a page from Larry Niven's Known Space series, here is a real report of criminals' organs being harvested for 'profit.' From the article: 'China is trying to move away from the use of executed prisoners as the major source of organs for transplants. According to the China Daily newspaper, executed prisoners currently provide two-thirds of all transplant organs. The government is now launching a voluntary donation scheme, which it hopes will also curb the illegal trafficking in organs.
But analysts say cultural bias against removing organs after death will make a voluntary scheme hard to implement.'"
Re:A Waste? (Score:3, Informative)
Except that a lot of executed people are innocent, like the members of Falun Gong http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falungong [wikipedia.org]
Basically, it's a large sect, which teaches QiGong.
Repression is very hard, and Falun Gong members are sent to prison, and a lot of them have been executed to grab their body parts.
I guess that because they practice qigong, they are healthy and provide nice body parts.
Funnily, China government said that Falun Gong was a dangerous sect, probably because you risk your life by following this movement.
Here is an article:
http://www.rferl.org/content/Article/1071999.html [rferl.org]
Re:Israel does this too (Score:5, Informative)
I can't believe that got an "Informative" tag when it's based on one old phone interview and wild speculation by a tabloid reporter. There is zero evidence that the IDF kills people in order to harvest their organs. This is blood libel, plain and simple.
Israel has an extreme shortage of organs, and every time there is a successful transplant it's all over the news sites, with the identity of the donor (usually a motor accident victim). Now you'll tell me that's all a fabricated conspiracy? Give me a break.
- Anonymous Coward, aka Eitheladar
Re:A Waste? (Score:5, Informative)
Not in terms of executions.
In 2008, China is purported to have performed 1,718 out of the 2,390 reported executions in the entire world. 72% is a pretty significant chunk. Iran's #2 with 346 (14%). Then again, China has not been reported to still be executing minors; Iran still does. (Source: Amnesty International [amnestyusa.org])
Re:Israel does this too (Score:1, Informative)
-1, misleading: There is no death penalty in Israel [wikipedia.org] since 1954
Re:Israel does this too (Score:1, Informative)
Yeah, the journalist "Aftonbladet" said afterwards no one said that stealing organs happened, he just wants an investigation.
Now that he can do, although he won't be a hero of his profession, but what's up with Israelis playing the race card? Onto the government and the Swedish nation? Seriously? That Sweden won't move a finger just shows integrity.
Minister Carl Bildt hits the nail on the head: "We can't apologise for an article in a independent newspaper. What Aftonbladet publishes, Aftonbladet has to take responsibility for."
Re:A Waste? (Score:5, Informative)
How were these minor girls executed ? By stoning, hanging and throwing them off buildings, exactly as islam dictates
Not to forget that they are raped first if they are still virgins, as the Islam does not allow the execution of such.
Re:Bodies Exhibit, anyone? (Score:5, Informative)
The tell-tale sign is how young most of the bodies are with absolutely no trauma or anatomic evidence of disease or decay. Most of the bodies appear to be in their early to late twenties. The likelihood that all of these people died in hospital (if not laboratory) conditions of natural causes like cardiac arrhythmias is ridiculously unlikely to say the least.
But, the real evidence comes from direct investigations [wikipedia.org] into the company itself. 20/20 did an investigation [youtube.com] into the company, Premier Exhibitions, Inc. and found the actual warehouse where the bodies are preserved. Needless to say, it is NOT where the company claimed it to be, and the interview with the company's founder at the end is priceless. Further investigations by the government pretty much confirmed everyone's suspicions.
I'm surprised that all of this is news to many people. In 2006, Chinese authorities were bragging to the international media [timesonline.co.uk] about how successful their "death vans" have been. These death vans are ambulances turned mobile execution chambers expressly designed for the preservation of organs. So proud was the company's spokesman in one of the subsequent articles that he insisted any interested overseas buyers reading the article should contact him directly for sales.
-Grym
Re:A Waste? (Score:3, Informative)
I can understand your position from a technical perspective. However, in my opinion, taking organs from people without consent is wicked.
The British Government are considering 'implied consent' with regard to organ donorship - if you die, and you haven't withdrawn consent by some act, they consider you fair game.
Re:A Waste? (Score:2, Informative)
The British Government are considering 'implied consent' with regard to organ donorship - if you die, and you haven't withdrawn consent by some act, they consider you fair game.
Dutch government has already switched to an opt-out system. Same for France, Spain and Belgium.
Re:Israel does this too (Score:1, Informative)
Re:A Waste? (Score:3, Informative)
Did you read the above thread at all? The US is near the top worldwide in both execution rate and murder rate. That implies "proportional," not "inversely proportional."
Re:A Waste? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Israel does this too (Score:3, Informative)
Israel on the other hand has a functioning democracy
Israel has a strange kind of functioning democracy, where the citizens of Israeli occupied territories are both denied actual citizenship and denied a vote in the Israeli elections, and when those citizens elect a representative government for their own territory, that government is called illegal and terrorist and ignored.
and pays for everything.
Israel is the largest total recipient of direct economic and military assistance from the United States since World War II, and it was the largest annual recipient from 1976 to 2003. [wikipedia.org] Israel pays for everything? Yes, with US taxpayer dollars.