UK Students Shocked at Forced Organ Harvesting in China

Prisoners of conscience killed for their organs. Allegations that the Chinese Communist Party has been carrying out these criminal acts surfaced in 2006. Now, more and more people are finding out, and it's drawing strong reactions.

[Shahnoor, Chemistry Student, Leeds University]
"Shockedmore than anything. But I knew that forced organ harvesting was going on but I wasn't quite aware of the scale of it and how it's more driven by money and it's a bit sickening."

Global medical advocacy group, Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, organized this panel at the Leeds University in the UK on May 3rd.

Independent researchers Ethan Gutmann and David Kilgour were there to speak about abuses inside China's prison system. Both have investigated—and concluded—that the Chinese regime gets the bulk of the organs used in the country's transplant system from prisoners of conscience, including Tibetans, Uyghurs and in particular Falun Gong practitioners.

[Priscilla, Politics and International Relations Student]
"I was sick to my stomach. I, sort of like my blood level shivered, to know that something like this, something like a holocaust sort of movement, even worse than the holocaust, something that still exists in the 21st century."

Part of the problem is the international demand for organs that has made it such a lucrative trade. Countries like Taiwan, Australia and Israel have already started to address the issue.

In 2008, an Israeli doctor successfully lobbied for the ban of medical insurance for transplants operations done in China. Since then, Israeli patients have stopped travelling there for organs.

[David, French Teacher, Leeds University]
"I feel that it is our responsibility, the UK, France and all the countries around the world to put pressure on China. I believe we can do a lot and we need to get a mobilization, a mass mobilization of people all over the world to stop these atrocities."

One way to do this, according to Priscilla, is to help groups like Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, spread the word.

[Priscilla, Politics and International Relations Student]
"Social media, start tweeting it, start Facebooking it, let everyone know about it, and get more people involved in it, and informing people, that's the first thing I can do."

NTD News, Leeds, UK

For more news and videos visit ☛ http://english.ntdtv.com
Follow us on Twitter ☛ http://twitter.com/NTDTelevision
Add us on Facebook ☛ http://on.fb.me/s5KV2C