(Minghui.org) The UK Falun Dafa Association held a forum titled “Falun Gong, China’s Forced Organ Harvesting and Its Impact on the UK” at the Houses of Parliament in London on November 5, 2024. The forum focused on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong at home and abroad and its impact. The forum was hosted by Lord Alton of Liverpool, the co-founder and vice chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on International Freedom of Religion or Belief.
At the forum, Falun Gong practitioners shared their personal experiences and exposed the CCP’s forced organ harvesting, transnational surveillance, and harassment. The politicians, barristers, and human rights experts who attended the forum proposed limiting cooperation with the Chinese medical community, promoting due diligence and legislative supervision, and other measures to increase the international community’s attention to the CCP’s human rights issues. The participants agreed that the UK should take a more active stance to defend human rights and the rule of law.
Caroline, a representative of the Falun Dafa Association of the United Kingdom, pointed out in her speech that in the first nine months of 2024, more than 5,000 Falun Gong practitioners had been persecuted, 87 had died, and thousands had been arrested and sentenced. She also exposed the CCP’s transnational persecution in the UK, monitoring and intimidating Falun Gong practitioners in the UK, and even violent attacks in Chinatown and near the British Museum, resulting in injuries to practitioners. The CCP has also repeatedly interfered with Shen Yun performances, attempting to stop the performances by threatening venues, spreading rumors and using intimidation.
Caroline said that the CCP’s persecution not only undermines the rule of law and human rights, but also tramples on Britain’s core values in the UK. She called on the British government not to remain silent on this, but to face up to the CCP’s atrocities and defend basic human rights and justice.
Lord Alton: The CCP Infiltrates the UK
Lord Alton of Liverpool pointed out that forced organ harvesting caught the public’s attention. Thanks to the unremitting efforts of some Members of Parliament (MPs), changes have been made to British law to ban commercial organ tourism to countries such as China.
He talked about the case of Falun Gong practitioner Cheng Peiming, whose organs were harvested alive, which was exposed by Minghui.org in August of this year. He said, “Mr. Cheng’s case reminds us of the horrific persecution that Falun Gong practitioners are still facing in China and the need for an urgent response from the international community.”
Lord Alton pointed out that Falun Gong practitioners are not only persecuted in China, but also suppressed and attacked by the CCP around the world, including the spread of false information, economic pressure, and interference with media and activities supporting Falun Gong, and even threats to Shen Yun performances.
He said that last year, the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament released a report which exposed the CCP’s infiltration and threats in the UK. He stressed that now more than ever, our government needs to firmly oppose the CCP’s bullying and propaganda tactics. More importantly, in the face of the human rights atrocities commonly faced by the Chinese people, we must stand in opposition.
He called on the British government to work with allies to counter the CCP’s threats, protect basic human rights, support freedom of all religions and political beliefs, and oppose the CCP’s threats to global stability.
Marie Rimmer MP Promotes Legislation to Ban Organ Tourism
Marie Rimmer CBE MP was heavily involved in the 2022 amendment of the British law to stop commercial organ tourism to China and other countries.
In her speech, she recalled that despite the initial resistance, she did not give up. She said that we finally succeeded and that at least no one will be allowed to travel to China for organ tourism. The law has made clear provisions for this.
She pointed out that some officials may be influenced by economic interests when dealing with China, which has led to slow progress on the issue. However, with the support of Parliament, the issue was further discussed and promoted. She said that when someone reported that they had received an organ transplant in a certain place and had complications, these cases can be tracked. We have asked them to report this information.
She mentioned her insistence on not using funds provided by China and participating in activities involving China to show her position on China issues, and stressed the need to continue dialogue and track illegal organ transplant cases to ensure that Parliament can remain vigilant about China’s behavior on organ transplant and human rights issues.
Barrister: Strengthen Due Diligence in the Western Medical Community and Isolate Unethical Organ Transplant Cooperation
Eleanor Stephenson is a lawyer specialising in international criminal law and human rights law, and an expert advisor to the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China (ETAC).
She pointed out that the Western medical community has facilitated the illegal organ trade to some extent, such as by training Chinese doctors, providing drugs and equipment, etc. These actions can be regarded as aiding and abetting the crime. She said, “Under international law, anyone who provides substantial assistance, encouragement or support for the crime will be considered an accomplice. Willful blindness to ignore these facts is not a valid defense.”
She proposed that Western countries conduct due diligence on medical institutions that have cooperative relationships with China in order to isolate China’s medical community. She suggested increasing pressure on Chinese doctors by limiting their international academic exchange and conference opportunities, saying, “We need to show China, show those doctors who are performing transplants, that the world is paying attention to what they are doing.”
She emphasized that although some medical institutions have started to take action and some significant progress has been made, there is still a lack of consistent action overall. The international community should take concerted action to hold individuals and companies involved in unethical cooperation accountable.
David Matas: Many Recommendations to Stop Forced Organ Harvesting
International human rights lawyer Dr. David Matas made a series of recommendations for how the UK should respond to China’s organ transplant abuse, including expanding the scope of prosecution to bring organ transplant-related crimes to justice; requiring medical professionals to make mandatory reports; limiting insurance coverage for illegal transplant tourism; implementing entry and exit controls to prevent entry of people involved in illegal transplants; and strengthening supply chain supervision to ensure that the supply chain does not involve illegal transplants.
He also suggested economic sanctions against those involved, revoking diplomatic immunity, and using the “undesirable person” strategy to ban relevant people from entering the country. In addition, he called for an end to cooperation with China in medical training and academic exchanges to isolate its medical community.
At the international level, Dr. Matas suggested that the UK exert pressure through the UN Human Rights Council and Security Council to promote the involvement of the International Criminal Court, and use the UN General Assembly to criticize China’s human rights issues. He said that by increasing the political costs of the CCP internationally and making the forced organ harvesting not worth the cost, this human rights violation can be gradually reduced.
Promote NHS Training to Identify Illegal Organ Transplants
Dr. Charlotte Patterson, a journalist and doctor who attended the meeting, suggested that identifying illegal forced organ transplants through “protection training” in the NHS (National Health Service) could be an effective strategy.
She said that incorporating the content of identifying forced organ transplants into the mandatory training of NHS staff can effectively raise the awareness of all staff, help track down patients who have received illegal organ transplants, and thus spread awareness of prevention and supervision within the broad medical system.
Some practitioners introduced the spiritual practice and raised awareness of the CCP’s persecution outside the Houses of Parliament the day the forum was held. They set up banners, distributed fliers to passers-by, and collected signatures on a petition calling for an end to the persecution.
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