Former Canadian secretary of State for Asia and the Pacific David Kilgour and vice-president of the European parliament Edward McMillan-Scott were invited to visit Australia. Their objective is to report to Australian political circles and the public about their investigations into the harvesting of organs from living Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Their trip to Australia drew attention from the Australian mainstream media. Australian MP Chris Bowen chaired their press conference. President of the National Civil Council Peter Westmore expressed his concerns about the organ harvesting.

Vice-president of the European parliament, Edward McMillan-Scott makes a speech at a press conference held in the Australian Parliament House

Australian MP Chris Bowen (left) and David Kilgour (right) at the press conference in the Australian Parliament House

When they arrived in Australia on August 15, 2006, Sydney Morning Herald, ABC's evening news and famous political commentary program "Late line" hosted a special interview on this topic. ABC 's Asia Focal Point interviewed Vice-president of European Parliament Edward McMillan-Scott on Sunday prior to their arrival.

On August 16, Kilgour and McMillan-Scott attended the press conference held by Australian National Civil Council on their behalf in the Australian Parliament House. Canberra was the first stop of Kilgour and McMillan-Scott's trip to Australia. They said the purpose of their trip was to report to Australian politicians and the public about the harvesting of organs from living Falun Gong practitioners, and to seek support from the Australian government so as to end the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

Australian MP Chris Bowen chaired the press conference. He expressed that many people who are concerned about these allegations of live organ harvesting have been looking for independent verification to support the allegations. He said that the world community is very grateful to David Kilgour and David Matas who have volunteered to conduct an independent inquiry.

Bowen believed the report provides very compelling evidence. He requested the CCP regime to respond to these allegations. He thought the independent investigative reports are very moving and shocking. If all these allegations are proven to be true, it will be an evil we haven't seen on the face of the earth. He said that these allegations are disturbing, horrifying, and unbelievable, but we do have evidence to support them.

Kilgour introduced to the media the conclusion he and Matas has reached through independent investigation. He said they concluded after looking at 18 bodies of evidence, that such organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners has been and is still continuing, on a large scale across China. He said, in 18 kinds of evidence, some people may say I don't like this, or I don't like that. But we dare to say that regardless of if it is in Britain, Canada or Australia, in legal circles or among the public, so long as they've seen all these 18 kinds of evidence, they will draw the same conclusion.

Kilgour said the investigative report includes transcripts of telephone conversations from 15 hospitals. The interviewees said directly that they could provide live organs in very short periods of time. He was very astounded for the frankness of the other parties. He said, since the persecution of Falun Gong started, over 40,000 organs have come from unidentified sources.

Kilgour also introduced a website whose intent is to attract foreigners to go to China for organ transplants. It does so in six languages. It openly claims that organ transplants can be done immediately, and that if the first operation fails, they can soon find you a second organ. He asked, "What does this mean?"

Kilgour believes that the 2008 Olympic Games to be held in China are a window of opportunity to stop this matter. He hoped governments including Australia and Canada pay attention to this matter. He said they have not called for a boycott of the 2008 Olympic Games in China in their recommendations, but he hoped the CCP regime soon stops such crime. If the CCP regime does not stop, they will recommend Australian government and Canadian government to boycott the Olympic Gamers.

Kilgour believes that such crimes against humanity as live organ harvesting must be stopped immediately. The United Nations must initiate an investigation into this matter, as in the UN's articles, trafficking human organs is prohibited.

Kilgour reiterated the need to ban doctors who perform such illegal transplants from participating in organ transplant conference held overseas, especially some doctors whose names have been documented in the investigative report. They should not be allowed to enter Australia or other countries. He thinks all countries should forbid human organ trafficking, and all patients who go to China for organ transplants should register and report. Kilgour is one of Canada's longest serving members of Parliament, as is McMillan-Scott in the European Parliament.

McMillan-Scott recounted his experience to the media of his recent facts-finding trip to China. He met with diplomats, reporters, including two Falun Gong practitioners who were once detained in China. One of the Falun Gong practitioners, Cao Dong, witnessed another practitioner friend's body with holes. He assumed that his organs were removed. Cao Dong is now once again detained by the CCP. McMillan-Scott said other than he and his assistant, all others he had seen have been detained. He has appealed several times in the European Unions and Hong Kong and other places.

McMillan-Scott said that as an MP in charge of foreign affairs, he has been aware that the CCP misused executed prisoners' organs for a period of time. But what was revealed early this year, harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners, is a crime that is startling and distasteful. He said, "We are talking about genocide, and Falun Gong was singled out. This is why governments must take action to press the United Nations to urge them to conduct investigation."

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Chen Hong said that she once was detained for a year in China for practicing Falun Gong. During her detention, all detained Falun Gong practitioners were required to have their blood tested and their blood pressure measured and other medical examination, but other detainees were not required to do so. Moreover, they did not receive any treatment (after medical check ups). The prison guards threatened them that if they did not "transform" (give up their belief), they would be sent to remote northwestern part of China. Ms. Chen said many Falun Gong practitioners did not want to implicate their families and friends when they were detained, so they refused to give their names. They were given a number and detained in secret locations. Chen Hong expressed her worry about practitioners who refused to give their names and have been secretly detained. Their life and death are unknown. She called on more people of goodwill to pay attention to the human rights of Falun Gong practitioners.

Chairman of the National Civil Council Peter Westmore expressed his concern over the CCP's harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. McMillan-Scott and Kilgour also answered questions from reporters.

Kilgour and Mc-Millan-Scott held a seminar at the University of Canberra the afternoon after they arrived in Australia. They will hold a series of press conferences and forums in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and other places.