Kamloops Daily News (British Columbia, Canada): Falun Gong: 'Overwhelming evidence' of organ harvesting

August 10, 2006 Thursday

The SOS National Car Tour arrived at City Hall Wednesday to raise awareness and urge Canadian governments to help stop the alleged organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners.

"We are here to urge every Canadian resident to condemn horrific organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners in China and help stop the persecution and mass killing of Falun Gong practitioners," said Car Tour member April Zhu.

A recently released report showing evidence of organ harvesting in China should initiate action from the Canadian government, she said.

"An independent report by the Hon. David Kilgour, former secretary of state for Asia Pacific, and Mr. David Matas, renowned international human rights lawyer, was released on July 6," Zhu said.

"(The report) shows overwhelming evidence of organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese communist party."

The Car Tour wants Canadians to write to city councilors and local MPs along with the prime minister and minister of foreign affairs to "condemn the Chinese communist party for committing crimes against humanity," Zhu said.

It is alleged that Falun Gong practitioners are being arrested and held in labor camps for unknown lengths of time for sharing information about the belief.

The allegation is that, while being held in what are being called "concentration camps," the practitioners unwillingly have their organs removed while they are still alive, which are later sold for organ transplants.

The Kilgour and Matas report concluded that the allegations are true and that a number of Falun Gong prisoners have had their vital organs, including hearts, kidneys, livers and corneas, unwillingly removed to be sold at high prices to people, including foreigners, who face long waits for voluntary donations of such organs.

The conclusion comes from piecing together all the evidence and once put together, the report states: "they paint a damning whole picture."

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, was founded in northeastern China in 1992 and includes elements of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. It essentially teaches meditation through exercise intended to improve physical and spiritual health and is sometimes referred to as Chinese yoga. [Editor's note: Falun Gong is a standalone cultivation system with its own unique principles and methods.]

The practice is estimated to have 70 to 100 million followers and is perceived as a threat to the Chinese government and was banned in 1999 by the CCP, said Zhu.

"The Chinese government wants to defame their reputation, bankrupt them financially and destroy them physically," Zhu said of Falun Gong practitioners.

The Falun Gong movement is not political, but rather promotes truth, tolerance and compassion for people of all race and cultures, she said.

The Car Tour members are traveling to major B.C. cities to spread their message.

Photo: Daily News; Fengying Xiong speaks about organ harvesting Wednesday outside of City Hall.