"China has bowed to world pressure to end its practice of human organs being forcibly removed from prisoners and sold on the Western market”, a member of the NSW Parliament, said today.

Dr Gordon Moyes, a CDP Member of the NSW Legislative Council and a strong supporter of human rights, has been advocating world pressure on China to stop the illegal harvesting of human organs without the owner’s consent for several years.

China has been accused of taking eye corneas, kidneys, heart and lungs from political prisoners, including pastors of the Underground church and Falun Gong prisoners for at least a decade. The prisoners’ bodies were then cremated and
families told they had died of natural causes.

During Sydney’s APEC conference when several thousand members of the world’s media and government bureaucrats were present in Sydney, Dr Gordon Moyes told a well-attended public forum that Western nations should boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics while China persisted in such unethical and barbarous practices. Three large peaceful protests, organised by Falun Gong practitioners, were held in Hyde Park and NSW Parliament House. Distinguished guests from other countries joined in the peaceful protests. News of the stories spread around the globe.

The Chinese Embassy sent high-level officials to Parliament to put immense pressure on the Premier and the President of the Legislative Council to stop the protest. Both refused to do so. Dr Moyes said, “It is a 600 year right of the Westminster System of Parliamentary Democracy that concerned citizens have the right to enter Parliament House to discuss matters of concern with their Parliamentarian. That is what is not allowed in China”.

According to Chinese state media, the Chinese Medical Association would require 500,000 member doctors to stop the illegal harvesting of organs from executed prisoners, even with the prisoner’s consent, except when needed for a close relative of the prisoner. The agreement was reached with the World Medical Association during the peak body’s meeting in Copenhagen last Friday.

Although it remains uncertain when the pledge will take into effect, Dr Moyes said,“China has conceded to international pressure. The proof is not in yet, but it looks like this international protest may be successful in making the world’s most populous country change its practices”.

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Contact: Rev Dr Gordon Moyes AC MLC - 0407 433 499 or 4389 1860