Kelsie Householder & Anna von Essen

Singapore American School

Modern Asian Perspectives

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Chinese Executions for Organs

Background

The transplant business in China properly began in 1983 (China: Organ Procurement) when Cyclosporine A, a “wonder drug,” was introduced. This drug decreased the fatality rate of organ transplants enough to make such operations a reality. Unfortunately, this happened at the same time as the series of annual “crackdown on crime” campaigns began in China. Because of these national campaigns, economic crimes and drug trafficking can result in the death penalty, and the police have had to meet “arrest quotas” (ibid) to prove their enthusiasm for the campaigns. The result has been tens of thousands of executions, often after unfair trials.

A national coordinating body, the Organ Transplantation Registration Center, already formed in 1984 (ibid) as transplants quickly became common. Cyclosporine A was expensive, (ibid) so in order to subsidize Chinese transplants hospitals have ever since been offering organ transplants for high prices to foreigners, too. CITNAC, or China International Transplantation Network Assistance Center, is largely responsible for these operations for foreigners today. As Chinese and foreigners tried to get operations the need for organs grew, while the number of executions was growing, too, which led to the apparently obvious solution: to use the organs of those who were going to die anyways. As China has no real legal safeguards to help prisoners, the situation has since gotten completely out of hand. The Ministry of Health denied the practice until 1991 (ibid), and even now refuses to acknowledge the gravity of the situation. The taboo on the subject of organ procurement has only made the situation worse, as very few Chinese consider offering their organs and the hospitals therefore rely even more on organs from executed prisoners.

The Issue

Far too many executions in China are unfair, an end result of the use of executed prisoners' organs. China already enforces the death penalty for anything from embezzlement to tax evasion. In addition to this, because of the constant need for organs, very little is needed to convict someone of a crime; a confession obtained under torture usually suffices. The most obvious proof of this lies in absurd cases where supposed victims of murder have turned up alive and well after their supposed killers have already been executed (there have been countless instances when prisoners have been found innocent after they have already been quickly executed). Being a defending lawyer against a homicide conviction is almost pointless, as once brought to trial the suspect is pretty much guaranteed to be found guilty. One lawyer said exasperatedly that the percentage lies at 99.9%, and even though this may be exaggerated, the point is still clear. Sure, the Chinese police might be good at finding murderers, but what police force is that good? Even if these trials were fair, the prisoners are not truly given a choice as to whether they agree to donate their organs; they can be harvested if the family does not claim the body. Considering that the families are often not told about the execution until after it has happened, and by that time the organs have already been taken, this is hardly a choice. Sometimes the execution is not carried out properly, as the organs will be in better condition if the donor is still alive. Many doctors can tell gruesome stories of having harvested organs from slowly, painfully dying prisoners--including taking the skin off. Hospitals are making huge profits from this business, as a body officially costs about US$32 and a bribe for the official that tips off the hospital amounts to about the same, but a single organ can then be sold for thousands of dollars. 

You can also see our video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrMCL6w0zu4

Solutions

What can be done about the situation? The first and simplest step is to sign a petition that aims to make some real changes: http://cipfg.org/signup/signup_en.html

To make a greater difference, think of ways to spread awareness--let people know what is happening! At our school, we plan to set up a scene at the high school entrance: a volunteer, appearing to be an executed prisoner, lies in front of a table full of flyers while a projector shows our video (which, again, can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrMCL6w0zu4 ) while we explain the situation and what must be done to those interested. In addition, we plan to hang up posters around school beforehand that remind people to come. We are confident that this will be an effective way of spreading awareness at our school.

Bibliography

1. Bezlova, Antoaneta. "China's Mobile Death Fleet." Asia Times Online 21 July 2006 27 Sep 2007 http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/HG21Ad01.html.
2. "China: Beijing Must Disclose Execution Numbers." Human Rights Watch 1 Nov 2006 27 Sep 2007 http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/11/01/china14487.htm.
3. "China: No Progress on Rights One Year Before Olympics." Human Rights Watch 2 October 2007 27 Sep 2007 http://china.hrw.org/press/news_release/china_no_progress_on_rights_one_year_before_olympics.
4. "China: Organ Procurement and Judicial Execution in China." Human Rights Watch 6.9 Aug 1994 25 Sep 2007 http://www.hrw.org/reports/1994/china1/china_948.htm.
5. "Chinese organs creating problems for US doctors." Taipei Times 12 Nov 2001 1 Oct 2007 http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2001/11/12/111157.
6. Fuller, Thomas. "China Supplies Convicts' Organs to Malaysians: An Execution for a Kidney." International Herald Tribune 15 June 2000 27 Sep 2007 http://www.iht.com/articles/2000/06/15/organ.2.t.php.
7. Gregory, Stephen. "Harvesting Organs in China: the Preparation for Sujiatun." The Epoch Times 30 Mar 2006 2 Oct 2007 http://en.epochtimes.com/news/6-3-30/39868.html.
8. Mufson, Steven. "Chinese Doctor Tells Of Organ Removals After Executions." The Washington Post 27 July 2001 27 Sep 2007 http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A49239-2001Jun26?language=printer.
9. Smith, Craig S. "Execution in China, Through a Brother's Eyes." The New York Times 11 Mar 2001 27 Sep 2007 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9504E2D9123AF932A25750C0A9679C8B63.
10. Smith, Craig S. "On Death Row, China's Source Of Transplants." The New York Times 18 Oct 2001 25 Sep 2007 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B00E4D7143EF93BA25753C1A9679C8B63.
11. Waghorn, Dominic. "Sky News: Latest Video." Sky News. 5 Oct 2006. Sky News. 2 Oct 2007 http://news.sky.com/skynews/video/videoplayer/0,,31200-p21983_waghorn,00.html.

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