Irish Senator: Does Economic Gain Justify Torture and Oppression?

(Clearwisdom.net) On November 23, 2006, Mr. David Kilgour was invited to speak to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Irish Parliament, and answer questions regarding the Chinese Communist Party's harvesting of organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. Mr. Kilgour was invited by Senator Joe O'Toole. Senator O'Toole published a press release about the CCP's organ harvesting. The following is the press release:

DOES ECONOMIC GAIN JUSTIFY TORTURE AND OPPRESSION?

SENATOR JOE O'TOOLE.

Wednesday 22^nd November 2006

Ireland is turning a blind eye to the documented human rights abuses that are taking place in China. Every week, innocent Chinese citizens, members of the Falun Gong movement, a spiritual discipline practiced by over 100 million people throughout the world, are herded up and treated as prisoners; forced to work and undergo torture practices. No doubt we are attempting to ignore the atrocities that are taking place so as not to jeopardize our trading affiliation with China. How can we continue this economic relationship knowing that human rights violations are commonplace?

Although the international community is well aware of the information and evidence pointing towards the Chinese Communist Party's [CCP] actions, very little has been done to investigate or put an end to this. The Western world seems to be running scared of China's massive role in the global trade market. It is completely unacceptable that the rest of the world would stand by doing nothing, while being aware that a country is involved in perpetrating such violation of human rights and, continue to trade with them.

Throughout the past years, news reports have surfaced claiming that the CCP has routinely persecuted practitioners of Falun Gong. The reports charge that Falun Gong practitioners have regularly been rounded up by the Chinese government and sent to labour camps, detention centres, or prisons, throughout China. At these internment camps, Falun Gong practitioners are held illegally, forced to work and often tortured. One such type of brutal torture is the removal of Falun Gong practitioners' organs, frequently, while still alive. These organs are then offered for sale and are regularly delivered to order to organ transplant patients.

David Kilgour, a respected former Canadian Secretary of State has undertaken an independent investigation into all of these allegations. Tomorrow (Thursday November 23^rd), on my invitation, Mr. David Kilgour, will make a presentation to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs on the findings of his investigation into the alleged human rights violations against Falun Gong practitioners that have taken place in China.

David Kilgour investigated these allegations as a volunteer and he worked independently of any organization or government. Furthermore, it should be noted, that after the publication of this report, it was subsequently discussed at the EU-China Summit in Helsinki, where MEPs signed a letter to the European Union Commission expressing their concerns and urging the Commission to investigate further the report.

Often it is difficult to get first hand reports of these abuses. The lack of documentation of their arrests or transfers makes it difficult to decipher where they are being kept, if even still alive. This makes it difficult to investigate. However, one first hand account was from the wife a former surgeon. The surgeon in a honest admission to his wife reported that he had removed the corneas of approximately 2000 Falun Gong practitioners.

Mr. Kilgour has done us a favor by helping to bring greater world attention to these atrocities in China. The Irish Government must now press the European Union to have this abuse brought to an end immediately.