China to stop harvesting executed prisoners' organs

[Janelle2002 3,865]

China to stop harvesting executed prisoners' organs

Prisoners used to account for two-thirds of transplant organs, based on previous estimates from state media

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China has promised to stop harvesting organs from executed prisoners by 1 January, state media report.

It has said for many years that it will end the controversial practice. It previously promised to do so by November last year.

Death row inmates have long served as a key source for transplants.

China has been criticised for taking their organs without consent, but has struggled to encourage voluntary donations due to cultural concerns.

Prisoners used to account for two-thirds of transplant organs, based on previous estimates from state media.

For years, China denied that it used organs from executed prisoners and only admitted to the practice a few years ago.

The Chinese authorities put more prisoners to death every year than the rest of the world combined - an estimated 2,400 people in 2013 - according to the San Francisco-based prisoners' rights organisation, Dui Hua.

'Fair, just and transparent'

State media reported on Thursday that the head of the country's organ donation committee Huang Jiefu said that by 1 January 2015, only voluntarily donated organs from civilians can be used in transplants.

So far 38 organ transplant centres around the country, including those in Beijing, Guangdong and Zhejiang, have already stopped using prisoners' organs, according to reports.

Dr Huang, who was addressing a seminar, said that every year about 300,000 people in China need transplanted organs, but only 10,000 operations are carried out.

Analysis: Celia Hatton, BBC News, Beijing

It's taken years for the Chinese authorities to end their own practice of harvesting organs from executed prisoners.

In 2006, Dr Huang admitted China must reduce its reliance on prisoners' organs. He repeated that again in 2009, when announcing the establishment of a national organ donation network. And finally, in 2012, Dr Huang surfaced in Chinese state media once more with a promise to end all prisoners' donations within a few years.

Why did it take so long? Thousands of people are on China's transplant waiting list in desperate need of organs, with no clear solution in sight. Attempts to address the need, by encouraging public organ donations, have faltered.

But many in China believe that bodies should remain intact after death. China's also home to a thriving illegal trade in body parts, making would-be donors nervous they will contribute to a wider problem.

A 2012 poll conducted in the southern city of Guangzhou revealed that 79% of respondents believed organ donation was "noble". However, 81% were concerned the donations "inevitably feed the organ trade."

Clearly, Chinese health officials have a lot of work to do to change public perceptions.

With a donation rate of only 0.6 per 1 million people, China has one of the world's lowest levels of organ donation. Dr Huang compared it to Spain, which has a rate of 37 per 1 million.

"Besides traditional beliefs, one of the major roadblocks to the development of our organ donation industry is that people are concerned that organ donation will be fair, just and transparent," he was quoted as saying.

Dr Huang, who used to be the vice minister for health, had last year pledged to phase out prisoner organ transplants by the end of 2013.

Amnesty International's William Nee told the BBC that halting prisoner organ transplants would be "a positive step forward in China's human rights record", although some challenges remain.

"It will be worth seeing not only how effective a new voluntary organ donation system is, but it will also be crucial that the government becomes fully transparent about the number of people sentenced to death, the number of executions per year, and how the executions are carried out," he said.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-30324440

[Operator 1,927]

Your new found interest in China is awesome.

Interestingly in this country death row prisoners who are willing to donate organs can't because it's illegal. They could save hundreds of lives a year but apparently it's a bad idea.

http://www.gavelife.org/

[Janelle2002 3,865]

I just saw it and posted it. Why are you hating on me for trying to engage in conversations on VJ?

[Teddy B 17,252]

I just saw it and posted it. Why are you hating on me for trying to engage in conversations on VJ?

He's a bad seed and tends to drink too much.

[Operator 1,927]

I just saw it and posted it. Why are you hating on me for trying to engage in conversations on VJ?

Hate is such a strong word. I was just replying to your post.

China is attempting to do what the US has done and make it so that no one can benefit from the organs of an executed prisoner. The problem is in China is that people don't donate organs like they do in the US. This is going to lead to more people dying because they can't get a transplant, just like here in the US.

The problem that most people have and maybe this is your concern as well, is that it was not the prisoners will.

Now there will be 2/3 less organs to go to needy people. So now 2,400 prisoners will die and likely many more than that will die because they won't get the organs they need. Seems like a real tragedy.

He's a bad seed and tends to drink too much.

Funny you should say that. One of my colleagues just came by to let me try some shine her husband made. The next thing I know half my company is in my office drinking moonshine at 3:00.

[Janelle2002 3,865]

So you don't think this may lead to them unfairly prosecuting people for their organs?

[Operator 1,927]

So you don't think this may lead to them unfairly prosecuting people for their organs?

I'm a little confused by your question.

Are you asking if stopping prisoner organ donation will lead to unfair prosecution? I would think it would have the opposite affect since it is a process that they are stopping.

Or, are you asking if I think if it were legal in the US would it lead to increased capital convictions? No, I don't.

I do think that death row prisoners should be eligible to donate healthy organs. Donate being the key word.

[Janelle2002 3,865]

I'm a little confused by your question.

Are you asking if stopping prisoner organ donation will lead to unfair prosecution? I would think it would have the opposite affect since it is a process that they are stopping.

Or, are you asking if I think if it were legal in the US would it lead to increased capital convictions? No, I don't.

I do think that death row prisoners should be eligible to donate healthy organs. Donate being the key word.

I am wondering if the donations are voluntary or not. If these are really donations or forced donations. You never know what could be happening behind prison walls in any country.

Just wondering, not saying this is true or not.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Hate is such a strong word. I was just replying to your post.

China is attempting to do what the US has done and make it so that no one can benefit from the organs of an executed prisoner. The problem is in China is that people don't donate organs like they do in the US. This is going to lead to more people dying because they can't get a transplant, just like here in the US.

The problem that most people have and maybe this is your concern as well, is that it was not the prisoners will.

Now there will be 2/3 less organs to go to needy people. So now 2,400 prisoners will die and likely many more than that will die because they won't get the organs they need. Seems like a real tragedy.

Funny you should say that. One of my colleagues just came by to let me try some shine her husband made. The next thing I know half my company is in my office drinking moonshine at 3:00.

Talk about a good benefits package.

[Operator 1,927]

Talk about a good benefits package.

I'm a slack boss when it comes this time of year and our benefits package is SHYTE. A little Christmas shine will hopefully make folks not feel so abused. Plus I'm resigning after the holidays so rules are out the window!

And guess what Janelle, I'm moving to China! I'll see if I can straighten them out over there.

[LibCampFireClub 635]

I'm a slack boss when it comes this time of year and our benefits package is SHYTE. A little Christmas shine will hopefully make folks not feel so abused. Plus I'm resigning after the holidays so rules are out the window!

And guess what Janelle, I'm moving to China! I'll see if I can straighten them out over there.

Congratulations on your decision to move to China. As you know, life in China is not the red army commie everyone gets arrested starving country the 1950s America propaganda machine continues to perpetuate.

Good luck to you. What city do you plan to live?

[Robby999 1,024]

Here is a post I made concerning a similar topic earlier this year and my feelings are pretty much the same. China is going to do what China wants to do regardless of public opinion. They have this nifty way of shutting down social media and other stuff when they desire a little private time to deal with internal problems.

Robby999, on 29 Apr 2014 - 10:00 PM, said:

I think that the state should execute prisoners using a method that preserves their organs so they be harvested and sold, then give the money from the sales to the families of the victims to compensate for their pain,suffering and to open a trust fund for any children the victim has. The state keeps a small portion to help recoup some of their costs. It is a win for everyone. Someone's life is saved or improved with the organs, the state recoups some of their costs, and the victim's family is compensated for their loss!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/493789-breaking-oklahoma-botched-execution/page-3

Many say what about the prisoner's rights to refuse. I agree they should the right to refuse so there should be an incentive for them to donate their organs that would benefit them. I think the states that have capital punishment law should offer the prisoner a choice of 3 methods of execution 2 (two) of the methods being free ie; hanging or electrocution, and 1 (one) method requiring organ donation ie; lethal injection. This should be a fair method for all concerned and would also benefit the organ donation bank.

[Operator 1,927]

Congratulations on your decision to move to China. As you know, life in China is not the red army commie everyone gets arrested starving country the 1950s America propaganda machine continues to perpetuate.

Good luck to you. What city do you plan to live?

We are going to be in Shanghai. My wife was living there when we met and has been offered a position back with her previous employer. She's gonna be my sugar momma till I get my new business up and earning.

I feel pretty safe there as long as I stay inside and never go out without my papers.

[LibCampFireClub 635]

We are going to be in Shanghai. My wife was living there when we met and has been offered a position back with her previous employer. She's gonna be my sugar momma till I get my new business up and earning.

I feel pretty safe there as long as I stay inside and never go out without my papers.

Ahhh, the Shanghai woman is said to be born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Shanghai people have their own language (Shanghai Hua), which no one outside of Shanghai understands. They are very proud to be Shanghai people. And why not? It is one of the richest, most modern, and largest cities on planet earth. With Hongqiao train station on one end of the city and Pudong station on the other. The most intricate and modern subway network on earth.

There have been some recent crack downs on illegals in China where they raid the downtown bars that foreigners frequent. It's a good idea to have your passport if you go to those places, but even at that, you don't really need them. China police work very hard not to offend foreigners. And, let's face it, a foreign face in China is easy to recognize.

Edited December 6, 2014 by ExExpat