Launch of the Korean and German edition of the book “State Organs: Transplant Abuse in China”
The South-Korean based International Association for Ethical Organ Transplants (IAEOT) hosted an opening celebration and book signing event in February 2013 on the occasion of the Korean translation of “State Organs,” published by Window of Times in South Korea.
(All web links are in Korean.)
For the Korean occasion co-author and member of the DAFOH advisory board Dr. Jacob Lavee reviewed recent events in unethical medical practices in China and attended the book signing. “State Organs” is the work of 12 co-authors who investigated the military based medical system of non voluntary forced organ harvesting initiated and run by the Chinese government. It is an in-depth expose of the state of the problem globally and offers feasible solutions to end the practice immediately.
The IAEOT announcement, echoed by several major media in Korea, included a review of the work of Messrs. Matas and Kilgour (2006), investigators on forced organ harvesting who authored “Bloody Harvest,” and a brief history of the underpinnings behind the development of DAFOH.
Dr. Lavee, former president of the Israel Transplant Society, investigated the occurrence of 150 Israeli patients that went to China for organ transplants, and through patient interviews and disclosure he became aware of organ harvesting. Dr. Lavee continuously informed the government and congress, as well as the global medical community, and played a central role in passing legislation in Israel to prevent collusion. After this reform, the number of patients going from Israel to China for organ transplantation dropped from 155 in 2006 to 26 in 2011. Of noted importance is that with this reform the rate of altruistic organ donation within Israel increased 68 percents.
The popular Korean news weekly magazine, “Donga ” also announced the translation and published an article entitled “Killing Falun Gong Practitioners: Do you still want to go to China for transplant tourism?” about reactions to State Organs in Korea.
In an interview with Donga Prof. Chae of Kookmin University Law School described how he found a copy of “Bloody Harvest” while traveling in Taiwan and wanted to translate the text. Chae points to the very nature of China’s regime saying, “Most people who are confronted with this shocking news are usually appalled and shocked, yet they are in half in doubt. Even at the publishing celebration of State Organs in February this year, some people asked whether there is any evidence?” Chae continued by stating, “There are no words coming out from the dead persons and the dead bodies were perished, and those people involved kept the secret.”
As an attorney Chae scrutinized the evidence and argued “Testimony from the wife of a doctor who performed harvesting organs, all kinds of close examinations performed in the labor camps, and advertising for organ transplants posted by the hospitals are enough evidence that Falun Gong practitioners were the victims.”
The Donga article also reported on a new advocacy movement within the ranks of Korea’s medical and legal professions focusing on the ethical dilemma of forced organ transplantation. The establishment of IAEOT early this year by DAFOH member Dr. Lee Shung-Won is exemplary. The medical community, law professionals, educators and teachers voluntarily participated in action letting people know about unethical forced organ harvesting. Lee Shung-Won, president of IAEOT, said, “Even though Korean doctors, especially professionals from the transplant field, all know about the realities, but because of the relationship with the Chinese medical field maybe, they are very reluctant to meet with them. Nevertheless we will not stop meeting with them and persuading them to end the practice.”
Korean medical professionals reacted to State Organs with dismay according to the Korean Medical Association’s newspaper, Doctor News. Dr. Roh Hwan Kyu, association chairman, met with book contributor David Kilgour and published an article, “Embarrassed with China’s Organ trafficking,” for Doctor News Weekly.
Germany
The increasing interest in the topic and the book is also reflected in the launch of the German edition of “State Organs”, released under the title “Staats-Organe: Transplantationsmissbrauch in China”, published in the GoodSpirit Verlag. The initiating book launch is scheduled for July 12, 2013 in Berlin.
