6.7.06

The End is Nigh

This article from ABC News talks about two Canadian lawyers (one of them is former MP David Kilgour of Edmonton) investigating allegations that imprisoned Falun Gong members are used as organ donors. Falun Gong is a recent religion, 1992, a variation of Buddhism. The founder, Li Hongzhi has claimed the following supernatural powers: invisibility, being able to control other people's movements by his thoughts, and to move himself anywhere he wanted to by thought as well. Falun Gong was declared illegal to practice in China seven years ago.

This is an exerpt from the article citing Kilgour's investigation:
One call, made on June 8, was to a Mr. Li in the Mishan City Detention Center in Heilongjiang province, according to the transcript.

"Do you have Falun Gong (organ) suppliers?" Li was asked.

"We used to have, yes," he replied.

"What about now?"

"Yes," Li replied.

"Can we come to select, or you provide directly to us?"

"We provide them to you," Li said, adding that price would be discussed when the caller arrived. He said he had "quite a few" Falun Gong males under age 40 from whom organs could be taken.

Kilgour released the transcript of an interview he conducted with a woman who said her former husband, a surgeon, had taken corneas from 2,000 people over two years. She said the victims would first be given an injection that would cause heart failure.

Amber and I watched The Manchurian Candidate a week ago. Her comment was that it was hard to believe that people could be so cruel. Not so hard to believe after reading this article.

It is interesting that one of the focuses of Falun Gong is a coming apocalypse, an end to civilization because of moral depravity. Not a new concept, really, but forever relevant.

Another thing that interests me is what the world will do to save a 30-year-old Chinese man, imprisoned for his beliefs, only to be murdered for his organs. My guess is a lot less would be done than for a 30-year-old Canadian man serving in a foreign country were to be robbed and killed. That is too bad. I should rethink that, probably not a lot would be done if the Canadian were killed either. I haven't done anything about the medical team from MSF and their guides who were killed in Afghanistan. My buddy Carl sent me a film today with a team from Stony Plain. Beyond the Gates of Splendor is about missionaries killed in Ecuador and how redemption comes to this tribe.

We can hope our End will serve a purpose greater than we are.

6 comments:

Sirdar said...

I don't think this stuff is really a big secret. China isn't exactly a model for human rights. What they are doing is the same or worse than Saddam's crimes. In fact it I would say even worse. But of course nothing will be done because of economics. A few Falun Gong members are nothing when it comes to the multitude of riches that can be had from 1 billion Chinese citizens. The world has its priorities screwed up. Canada can't do much as we don't have the power. The only ones who can do something about it wont because of the opportunities for raking in the money that comes from China. And there is lots of it.

Anonymous said...

Reading your last sentence after reading your Blog...
All I can say is that I hope your end comes naturally after a life time of service. I don't know how your end could serve a purpose greater than what you can do during your life. Sometimes the way people die brings attention to their lives....but I hope in your case it doesn't happen.
Anyway, your last comment puzzled and worried me.

April said...

Wow, that's some crazy shit. Have you seen the movie "Dirty, pretty little things"? It's about immigrants in London that trade their own organs for passports... and they get a hack job. The actress is from Amelie. You should check it out. I count myself quite lucky to have been born in Canada.

Sirdar said...

Seen the movie Amistad? Another human rights movie that can be disturbing.

Zaak, I didn't notice that last sentence of yours but thanks to littledeb I have re-read it. I don't think the end is nigh...we all will stop living sometime. Lets just make sure it is later than sooner. But when the time comes, memories of us will continue for a generation or two. Keep up the work you are doing as it serves a purpose. It may not solve the worlds problems but your work is valuable.

Zaak said...

The end is nigh. The end is nigh for a Falun Gong member today, being injected to make his heart stop so his organs can be sold.

There is an enemy - whether the enemy is attacking a stranger or your very own self - there is an enemy. My challenges are that we look deep at how we each cooperate with that enemy and that we seek to fight the enemy.

Who is the enemy? [I quietly raise my hand]

(how's that for a spooky last line littledeb?)

bobby fletcher said...

The report is one-sided and Kilgour’s claim of impartiality is entirely questionable:

- Kilgour can not divorce himself from the fact his investigation is sponsored by a Falun Gong group in Washington DC that is evidently POLITICAL.

As the vilification Falun Gong heaped on the Chinese government unrelated to this allegation demonstrates (such as The Nine [POLITICAL] Commentaries and “10 million quit the CCP” propaganda, in anticipation of Chinese leader’s stateside visit).

- The report failed to account for many contrarian facts that have brought question to Falun Gong’s claim, which are freely available outside China. Not able to go to China does not absolve him of his duty to critically examine ALL evidence:

* Two US government investigation started 2nd week of March/06 independently found the allegation not credible;

* Other media investigations, including Hong Kong newspaper Takunpao with circulation in Canada also found the allegation not credible. FYI Takunpao lost their government subsidies after they reported critically on Tiananmen Square Massacre.

* Other experts have doubted Falun Gong’s claim, including Harry Wu of Laogai Research Foundation;

* Malaysian government’s prior year visit to the alleged camp, which is a joint-venture and has been open to the public for years;

* Epoch Times’ rehashing of old, unrelated stories and mis-representing autopsy photo that do not prove torture or vivisection. The fact the photo show autopsy being performed and murder investigation held by the Chinese government proves the opposite.

Clear Wisdom’s original report on Wang Bin and Liu Yufeng had no mention of organ harvesting, yet years later these stories are rehashed in Epoch Times’ 2006 story.

(all details in my blog link above)

By ignoring these facts, Kilgour demonstrated his agenda and LACK OF impartiality.