This article was first published in February 2010.

(Minghui.org) In 2006, The Epoch Times newspaper broke a stunning story about what is undoubtedly one of the most horrible atrocities to be committed by any government, not only in modern times, but in all of recorded history. As documented in the investigative report, "Bloody Harvest," by noted human rights lawyer David Matas and former Canadian Secretary of State for the Asia-Pacific region David Kilgour, there is overwhelming evidence of the Chinese Communist regime's chilling role in systematically murdering Falun Gong practitioners, harvesting their organs while they are alive, and making huge profits from doing so. In response to the international outcry, the Chinese regime has attempted to explain away one of the main pieces of circumstantial evidence--the meteoric rise in the number of organ transplantations in recent years and the extremely short wait times in a culture notoriously averse to organ donation--by stating that it has harvested organs from executed criminals after their deaths. Faced with undeniable evidence, it has attempted to escape culpability for a monstrous atrocity by admitting to a lesser crime. In this report, we will show evidence that directly contradicts this claim and lends further credence to the serious charges leveled against the Chinese regime.

IX. Broadened definition of death row inmates

Some people remain incredulous of the live organ harvesting that Falun Gong practitioners have fallen victim to. With regard to the substantial increase of organ transplant cases, conventional thinking has driven these people to search for an answer among the donor source of death row inmates. Some have even broadened the concept of death row inmates. Then which groups of people fit the broadened definition? The following conversation, though fictional, accurately frames the issue while illustrating how many people try to avoid dealing with it.

1. Vulnerable groups broadening the definition of death row inmates

A: The CCP has done a lot of things wrong. Still, it's unlikely that they would harvest organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. After all, times have changed.

B: Times have changed--and things don't necessarily change for better. Haven't we had to deal with lots of fake products of poor quality? Poisonous food, poisonous milk powder for infants--these things are fairly recent. Put lowered moral standards and greed together, and what terrible things won't they commit? And speaking of organ harvesting, where have all these kidneys and livers come from?

A: Who else other than death row inmates? It's an open secret. Taking organs from living Falun Gong practitioners is too incredible.

B: Isn't it more incredible that the waiting period for organs is several years in developed countries, while in China it's only a week or two? How can something that incredible take place in China?

A: In China, things are rather complicated. You can't use the narrow definition of death row inmates, that it is only those sentenced to death and executed with bullets. Let me tell you, it is really easy for prison inmates to die, not just those who are on death row. Beat them to death, and they become death row inmates. This is a broadened definition of death row inmates, isn't it? Simply beat them, beat up the ones who the guards don't like or those who are not well connected. When the inmate is close to death, he or she is carried to the hospital for organ harvesting. It's even simpler than removing organs at the place of execution. You know how crafty some people can be. Like you said, driven by greed, what terrible things won't they commit?

B: What you described are isolated cases. The increase in organs had to account for a large number of people beaten to death. It would have to be group after group of prisoners killed.

A: Think of it this way: Those who are well connected won't be thrown into prison. The ones who end up in prison are among the vulnerable social groups in society. They have no power or influence whatsoever. It costs nothing to kill them. No court even takes up cases related to their deaths.

B: You mentioned vulnerable social groups in society. Which group is most vulnerable at present? You can't find any more vulnerable than Falun Gong practitioners, considering the way they have been slandered and have been deprived of their political, economic, and legal rights. The CCP has taken Falun Gong as its Number One enemy. Overwhelming propaganda in state-media has smeared practitioners to the extent that no matter how they are mistreated, no one is allowed to speak out for them. In addition, the number of practitioners unlawfully arrested is at least in the range of tens of thousands. Doesn't your broadened definition of death row inmates apply most fittingly and most conveniently to them?

A: Well, if you look at it that way, it could very well be the case.

2. Contrasting the tragedy of live organ harvesting with a "joyful moment" on the White House lawn

It was April 2006, shortly after the exposure of live organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners, when CCP leader Hu Jintao visited the White House. The Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. organized a group of people to greet the delegation from China. Across the street, protesting groups were gathered, including many Falun Gong practitioners who demanded a thorough investigation into the alleged live organ harvesting. One news reporter from the Western media asked the organizer of the Embassy's welcoming group for his comment on the over 2,000 people protesting the visit right across the street.

The organizer replied, "The Chinese leaders' visit is a joyful moment. I don't know if their charges [of organ harvesting] are valid or not. However, to protest at this moment is inopportune."

In any county, things as wicked, cruel and serious as live organ harvesting are things the highest leadership of the nation would be informed of. Any reasonable government would order an independent investigation immediately to get at the root of the issue. But simply because the victims are Falun Gong practitioners, this organizer did not have the least bit of sympathy nor the least respect for life. His "joyful moment" was more important than the life of a fellow citizen, due to the fact that this citizen is part of a peaceful group that is being targeted by a nationwide propaganda campaign. This type of mentality has, in turn, facilitated the crimes of live organ harvesting.

3. Revelation of Gresham's Law - demonizing propaganda drives indifference to life

About 400 years ago, Sir Thomas Gresham, a British financier, made an interesting observation that "bad money drives out good" under legal tender laws, that is, when there are two forms of money in circulation with similar face value, people will collect the 'good' coins made of more precious metals and use the 'bad' coins made of cheaper metals as payment. Soon all the coins in circulation are 'bad' coins. This is known as Gresham's Law.

Under the unprecedented persecution, Falun Gong practitioners, who have followed the principle of Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance, have been demonized as "bad money." The CCP had already indoctrinated the population with atheist propaganda for decades. Many people find it hard to have spiritual beliefs because the CCP has labeled them all as "feudal superstitions," and believers are thought of as fools. The overwhelming CCP smearing of Falun Gong practitioners, for example, accusing them of "committing suicide," "killing others," "self-immolation," and "being mentally deranged," has fostered hatred against them in society. The CCP regime went on to label Falun Gong practitioners' efforts to spread the facts about the persecution as "disrupting order by anti-China forces and reactionary organizations." These political labels have further damaged Falun Gong practitioners' reputations.

During the persecution, police officers and detention center, labor camp, or prison guards have not been held responsible after torturing practitioners to permanent disability or beating them to death. Practitioners have been prohibited from appealing to any levels of authorities, and have been arbitrarily dismissed from work or expelled from school. Practitioners have not even been able to hire attorneys to defend them because the few attorneys who have stood up to defend practitioners have faced persecution themselves. Falun Gong has been under fierce attack not only in work units and government organizations, but even in textbooks used in elementary through senior high schools that have been revised to carry dedicated sections demonizing Falun Gong and slandering practitioners. In labor camps and prisons, all other inmates have advantages over Falun Gong practitioners. It is not uncommon for death row inmates to be assigned to monitor practitioners in prison cells. Practitioners are deprived of any and all fundamental human rights.

One inmate who was released from prison told a chilling story. An elderly Falun Gong practitioner refused to renounce his belief and was tortured. He went on a hunger strike to protest. After he became extremely weak and his condition deteriorated, the guards dragged him to the hallway and left him there. Guards simply walked by, completely ignoring his existence. For days the elderly practitioner lay in the fetal position, his life withering. When he passed away in silence, he was carried away. This was the end of a life. This exemplifies the indifference and contempt of those carrying out "law and order" on behalf of the CCP.

When a college student was beaten to death in a temporary custody house in 2003 for not carrying and presenting his identification paper, there was outrage over the Internet against the custody and repatriation system in China. However, little has been heard over the brutality of this all-out suppression of Falun Gong that has lasted for a decade, impacting millions of innocent people. People do not believe that the abuse, torture, and killing have taken place on such a scale. When confronting charges of live organ harvesting, many are in self-denial without looking further into the issue, only because the victims and plaintiffs are Falun Gong practitioners. This unwillingness to look into this serious matter has, in turn, contributed to the persecution's taking place and continuation.

It would appear that CCP operatives suspected of killing Falun Gong practitioners figured that it was a lot more safe and convenient to harvest organs from Falun Gong practitioners, as in the current political climate they have been absolved of all legal responsibility. These live, low cost organs from young and healthy Falun Gong practitioners drove out the more costly organs from other sources per Gresham's Law.

The lies and slander spread by the CCP state-run media have created the environment for harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. Who makes up the broadly defined death row inmates? Falun Gong practitioners, treated as the Number One enemy by the CCP and unlawfully arrested and imprisoned on a massive scale, fit the broadened definition of death row inmates more than anyone else.

Gresham's Law also hints that during these years of persecution, it is likely that the organ source of traditional death row inmates could be on the decline, whereas more organs are being taken from living Falun Gong practitioners.