China Admits Use of Death-Row Organs

h.ross.perot writes "Like a page from Larry Niven's Known Space series, here is a real report of criminals' organs being harvested for 'profit.' From the article: 'China is trying to move away from the use of executed prisoners as the major source of organs for transplants. According to the China Daily newspaper, executed prisoners currently provide two-thirds of all transplant organs. The government is now launching a voluntary donation scheme, which it hopes will also curb the illegal trafficking in organs. But analysts say cultural bias against removing organs after death will make a voluntary scheme hard to implement.'"

Comments

A Waste?

[Russianspi]

I think that it would be a waste NOT to use these organs. The prisoners will be executed either way, might as well make them contribute some good to society to offset whatever they were sentenced to death for. There is a possible conflict of interest, though, if the judges start getting paid off to sentence people to death...

Re:A Waste?

[Stormwatch]

If it's profitable to kill, more will be killed. Simple like that.

Re:A Waste?

[Anonymous Coward]

My Girlfriend gets a lot more restrained than North Korea. ...

Wait, what were we talking about again?

Re:A Waste?

[serviscope_minor]

China is actually a lot more restrained than Iran.

So what? That's not even like hailing a turd for being the least smelly in the park. It's like hailing it for being only the second most smelly as opposed to the worst.

Re:A Waste?

[lena_10326]

If there are judges sentencing innocent kids to jail time for kickbacks, then I don't think it's a stretch to assume it would happen with death row inmates and organs. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/us/13judge.html?_r=2&hp

Re:A Waste?

[nacturation]

You lost me there. Perhaps start by explaining what type of car the smelliest turd represents.

A taxi. Why else would you hail it?

Re:A Waste?

[The Evil Couch]

China is actually a lot more restrained than Iran.

Not in terms of executions.

In 2008, China is purported to have performed 1,718 out of the 2,390 reported executions in the entire world. 72% is a pretty significant chunk. Iran's #2 with 346 (14%). Then again, China has not been reported to still be executing minors; Iran still does. (Source: Amnesty International)

Re:A Waste?

[Opportunist]

Welcome to human nature.

Why do you think those "reality shows" and afternoon "talk shows" are so popular? Because they show real life and because they give you a real impression of other people's lives, because people are actually genuinely interested how others are doing? Bullcrap. They're popular because they give people someone to point at and say "Gee, I'm not that good... but I'm still way better than them!". It makes people feel good because they can look down at someone and feel good about themselves because they're not as bad off as someone else. I have no job but at least I have fewer bottles lying around in my living room than that bum there. My son smokes and drinks, but at least he's not a deadbeat like that boy at Super Nanny.

Aspiring to something bigger would require work. Looking down at someone else is much easier.

Re:A Waste?

[Opportunist]

Your argue on ethical grounds here, something that I can't really follow. My body is a living shell for my mind. If my mind is gone, dump the carcass if you want, I obviously don't need it anymore. If you find someone who does, more power to you, as long as I don't have to pay to get the waste out of the way, help yourself.

The problem is more that someone might be interested in my body while I still need it, because he needs it to, and he has the power to evict me. And that's something I would indeed mind. I don't have a spare body lying around.

Re:A Waste?

[The Evil Couch]

Fair enough. As of 2008's CIA estimate, China has 1,330,044,544 people and Iran has 65,875,224, making the execution rates 1.29 per million in China and 5.25 per million in Iran.

For fun, I ran the numbers on the next three highest (and consistantly highest) capital states. Saudi Arabia, with 27,601,038 people and 102 executions, has 3.70 per million. The USA, with 304,059,724 people and 37 executions, has 0.12. Pakistan, with 172,800,048 people and 36 executions, has 0.21.

Re:A Waste?

[Nathrael]

How were these minor girls executed ? By stoning, hanging and throwing them off buildings, exactly as islam dictates

Not to forget that they are raped first if they are still virgins, as the Islam does not allow the execution of such.

Re:A Waste?

[MartinSchou]

And here I was, thinking that the USA was number one at everything ... disappointing.

Don't worry

[PakProtector]

I'll get this all sorted out in a few hundred years.

Love,
The Brennan-monster

Re:Why so little outcry vs Israel?

[Anonymous Coward]

I have not heard any outcries about "Zionist barbarians". I believe you are misrepresenting the views of the people you are opposing. It is a cheap trick that does not add anything constructive to the discussion. Please stop doing that.

It is a fact that there is organized, illegal organ trade in Israel. See for example an article in Jerusalem Post, Jul 23, 2007 (available on the web). I do not believe that this a "total fabrication", as the Jerusalem Post would presumably have little interest in fabricated smearing in this case. Or do you mean that the accusations against the _state_ of Israel are untrue, as opposed to the accusations against _citizens_ of Israel?

In the case of China, I believe it has been proved that the state is involved. On the other hand, Chinese organ trade uses bodies of its own citizens, whereas in the Israeli case, bodies of citizens from other countries are used. I think it is completely fair to demand investigations in both cases.

Bodies Exhibit, anyone?

[loteck]

You'll note that all the specimens are Asian...

Re:Bodies Exhibit, anyone?

[Grym]

The tell-tale sign is how young most of the bodies are with absolutely no trauma or anatomic evidence of disease or decay. Most of the bodies appear to be in their early to late twenties. The likelihood that all of these people died in hospital (if not laboratory) conditions of natural causes like cardiac arrhythmias is ridiculously unlikely to say the least.

But, the real evidence comes from direct investigations into the company itself. 20/20 did an investigation into the company, Premier Exhibitions, Inc. and found the actual warehouse where the bodies are preserved. Needless to say, it is NOT where the company claimed it to be, and the interview with the company's founder at the end is priceless. Further investigations by the government pretty much confirmed everyone's suspicions.

I'm surprised that all of this is news to many people. In 2006, Chinese authorities were bragging to the international media about how successful their "death vans" have been. These death vans are ambulances turned mobile execution chambers expressly designed for the preservation of organs. So proud was the company's spokesman in one of the subsequent articles that he insisted any interested overseas buyers reading the article should contact him directly for sales.

-Grym

Re:Israel does this too

[DerekLyons]

[Reliable citation needed]

Re:Israel does this too

[Anonymous Coward]

I can't believe that got an "Informative" tag when it's based on one old phone interview and wild speculation by a tabloid reporter. There is zero evidence that the IDF kills people in order to harvest their organs. This is blood libel, plain and simple.

Israel has an extreme shortage of organs, and every time there is a successful transplant it's all over the news sites, with the identity of the donor (usually a motor accident victim). Now you'll tell me that's all a fabricated conspiracy? Give me a break.

- Anonymous Coward, aka Eitheladar