June 17, 2019
The China Tribunal is an international, independent peoples tribunal, that has been established to determine what international law crimes, if any, have been committed by state or state-approved bodies, organisations or individuals in China that may have engaged in forced organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience.
Over the course of 12 months the China Tribunal have conducted the first ever robust analysis of all available evidence. The Tribunal’s work has included the questioning of over 50 fact witnesses, experts, investigators and analysts over 5 days of public hearings in December 2018 and April 2019, the review of written submissions, investigative reports, and academic papers. They have also received expert legal advice on the relevant law. The material viewed by the Tribunal is currently being uploaded onto the China Tribunal website.
Background Information
Forced organ harvesting is a form of organ trafficking. It is alleged that in China prisoners of conscience are killed for the purpose of removing one or more of their organs. The recipients of these harvested organs are Chinese citizens or international transplant tourists who travel to China and pay substantial sums to receive trafficked organs.
Within the Chinese transplant system, waiting times are said to be ‘extremely short by international standards and at times, transplants of vital organs (hearts, full livers) can be ‘booked’ in advance. The alleged victims of forced organ harvesting are primarily people who follow the Buddha School meditation practice of Falun Gong, possibly along with Uyghur Muslims (a Turkic ethnic group currently being detained in vast numbers in the Xinjiang region) and some Tibetan Buddhists and House Church Christians. These concerns have been raised with Chinese officials and Chinese medical practitioners on numerous occasions, each time with results that have been doubted by some. Those
supporting China’s medical practices claim that issues to do with unethical organ procurement have been resolved but have offered no clear evidence to support their claims. At times, Chinese medical professionals have appeared to dismiss questions about forced organ harvesting without addressing the substance of the allegations.
The Tribunal is chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, who worked at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia – the ICTY – and led the prosecution of Slobodan Milosevic. Joining Sir Geoffrey are six panel members with backgrounds in international law, human rights, transplant medicine, international relations, Chinese history and business. The Tribunal was established by, but remains independent of, the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China (ETAC), which is a registered charitable NGO.
Forced organ harvesting has been committed for years throughout China on a significant scale and that Falun Gong practitioners have been one – and probably the main – source of organ supply. The concerted persecution and medical testing of the Uyghurs is more recent and it may be that evidence of forced organ harvesting of this group may emerge in due course. The Tribunal has had no evidence that the significant infrastructure associated with China’s transplantation industry has been dismantled and absent a satisfactory explanation as to the source of readily available organs concludes that forced organ harvesting continues till today.
Read more: https://chinatribunal.com/final-judgement-report/
Here are some media reports about tribunal.
WSJ: The Nightmare of Human Organ Harvesting in China – Transplants far outnumber official donors. Prisoners of conscience evidently account for the difference.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-nightmare-of-human-organ-harvesting-in-china-11549411056
Reuters: China is harvesting organs from Falun Gong members, finds expert panel
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-china-rights/china-is-harvesting-organs-from-falun-gong-members-finds-expert-panel-idUSKCN1TI236
NBC: China forcefully harvests organs from detainees, tribunal concludes
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/china-forcefully-harvests-organs-detainees-tribunal-concludes-n1018646
Newsweek: Chinese prisoners are still being killed for their organs, tribunal finds
https://www.newsweek.com/china-organ-harvesting-prisoners-tribunal-transplant-1444383
The Guardian: China is harvesting organs from detainees, tribunal concludes
Victims include imprisoned followers of Falun Gong movement, China Tribunal says
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/17/china-is-harvesting-organs-from-detainees-uk-tribunal-concludes
BBC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjqUtCjZnsg&feature=youtu.be
Epoch Times: Forced Organ Harvesting in China Has Taken Place ‘on a Significant Scale,’ Independent Tribunal Finds
https://www.theepochtimes.com/forced-organ-harvesting-in-china-has-taken-place-on-significant-scale-independent-tribunal-finds_2965978.html
Forbes: China Killing Prisoners To Harvest Organs For Transplant, Tribunal Finds
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2019/06/18/china-killing-prisoners-to-harvest-organs-for-transplant-tribunal-finds/#134513fa53d4
The Times: QC’s report calls on NHS to fight black market in organ harvesting
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/qc-s-report-calls-on-nhs-to-fight-black-market-in-organ-harvesting-qtv9xg339
Sydney Morning Herald: China is still forcibly harvesting organs finds expert panel
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/china-is-still-forcibly-harvesting-organs-finds-expert-panel-20190618-p51yrk.html
Sky News: Organs of prisoners illegally harvested in China, tribunal claims
https://news.sky.com/story/organs-of-prisoners-illegally-harvested-in-china-tribunal-claims-11743480
News.com.au: ‘Forced organ harvesting’ of prisoners in Chinese detention camps continues, says tribunal https://www.news.com.au/world/forced-organ-harvesting-of-prisoners-in-chinese-detention-camps-continues-says-tribunal/news-story/7cd23093648000f2fb6807eeaadb1b95