(Clearwisdom.net) On July 6 to 7, 2009, Canadian renowned human rights lawyer Mr. David Matas spoke at a press conference held at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan in Tokyo and at a symposium in Bunkyo-ku Civic Center. He pointed out that organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners is very common in China, and that sufficient data shows that the live organ harvesting is still going on. He called upon people from all walks of life in Japan to show concern about the seriousness of the problem and demand the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) immediately stop the persecution of Falun Gong.

Mr. Matas explicitly pointed out that even though the CCP implemented the "Human Organ Transplant Ordinance" on May 1, 2007, what is stipulated in the ordinance does not have any restriction on the CCP's military, because hospitals where live organ harvesting takes place are mostly those with military backgrounds, and at the same time, have direct channels for criminal transactions with prisons, police departments and national security departments.

He added that neither criminals awaiting execution nor Falun Gong practitioners donate their organs voluntarily. Therefore it is completely wrong to use their organs. It undermines ethics and morality, and also violates basic norms in the international transplant field. It's the biggest persecution against human rights.

Mr. Matas' speech shocked the attendees. Mr. Minawa, a renowned individual in Japanese cultural circles pointed out that the CCP's brutal persecution of Falun Gong should be addressed. He then said seriously, "Is there any other human rights abuse as shocking as this (organ harvesting)? It takes place in our neighborhood. " He criticized the Japanese media for assuming an ambiguous attitude towards the CCP. He said that the Falun Gong issue, and the suppression of people of Uyghur nationality should not be allowed in the 21^st century. The whole world's people should awaken and concertedly condemn the CCP's atrocities.

Scholar: Organ transplant from living people is tantamount to eating human flesh

Tsuyoshi Awaya, Okayama University Professor heard about the organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners for the first time and was shocked. He said that organ transplant itself is not a normal thing, and organ transplant without the consent of donors is a matter that can't be forgiven.

Regarding the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, he felt ashamed of being Japanese, and thought that a similar speech should be given nationwide and for a long time, extensively letting more Japanese people learn about the true situation. He said that it's abnormal to prolong one's life by harvesting other people's organs; it's no different than eating human flesh.

The CCP's live organ harvesting does exist, powerful evidence has been found from large amount of data

As a lawyer, Mr. Matas has met with great challenges when collecting evidence during his investigation. He once tried to enter China to conduct an investigation but was denied entry. Under the CCP's dictatorship, he said that we do not have direct victims, because they have already been killed; we do not have the bodies, because they have been burned; we do not have any records, because the CCP will not provide them.

But at the same time, Mr. Matas pointed out that a large amount of data has shown where the problem is and provides sufficient evidence. He said that just looking at the CCP's official release of the annual number of executed prisoners, and the annual number of all kinds of organ transplants--the latter far exceeds the former.

Mr. Matas continued that besides a large amount of data, there were also direct phone calls to big hospitals, and direct conversations with transplant doctors who personally did the operations or related key personnel. Many of them admitted without hesitation that the organs were from Falun Gong practitioners.

The Oriental Organ Transplant Center headquartered in Shenyang and its joint venture branches in Shanghai and other places claimed its so-called achievement, which obviously shows the surge in the number of organ transplants.

Mr. Matas said that though we are unable to get an accurate number of live organ harvesting, we can see a phenomenon, which is that during the period of time when Falun Gong practitioners were the most brutally persecuted, this was also the period in which China's organ transplant operations surged.

Mr. Matas and David Kilgour, former Canadian Secretary of State for the Asia/Pacific Region, co-authored and published an investigative report entitled, "Report into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China" three years ago. The report illustrated with a large number of photos and charts the results of their investigation and evidence collection. It revealed that Falun Gong is the largest group subjected to the CCP's brutal persecution in China, and many Falun Gong practitioners have been incarcerated in forced labor camps and mental hospitals, or tortured to death and even had their organs harvested for sale. Related evidence has been constantly updated.

When the international community questioned the sources of a large number of organs for transplants in China, the CCP said that the organs were from executed prisoners. But the large amount of evidence and the number of executed prisoners, and also a large amount of data of organ transplants reported by many hospitals, obviously shows that the before and after numbers do not match. Through collecting evidence from various channels, it has become clear that many organs for transplants were taken from Falun Gong practitioners.

The CCP regime is the source of the spread of organ transplants

Mr. Matas pointed out that even though the norm of organ transplant in the international community is not perfect, it is essentially different from what it is in China. He thought that the spread of organ transplants in all other countries are market-oriented, while in China, the abuse is not only a policy-oriented political and religious persecution that has mobilized the state apparatus, but is also under the CCP regime's direct involvement and manipulation.

He said that there is not a normal mechanism in China to provide organs, neither are there any ethical norms or judicial supervision. All those directly or indirectly involved in organ transplants are associated with the government, and are funded and supported by the government. Organ-trading has never stopped, and the crimes continue.

Mr. Matas and David Kilgour have been traveling to over 40 countries since the release of their investigative report. They gave speeches and have raised awareness of the issue with people from all walks of life in different countries.

Calling for an end to the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong

Mr. Matas stated that we must stop the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong, and stop the CCP from killing people with high technology. The technology itself is neutral, but once it is used by a corrupt government, an evil regime that suppresses its people, it will become a weapon that brings harm to humanity and violates human nature. It is horrible and should be a concern of the international community.

He said that Falun Gong is practiced by people from all walks of life and is spreading rapidly. This frightens the CCP, so it spares no effort to persecute Falun Gong practitioners.

Ms. Yoko Kaneko, the wife of a Japanese man, was arrested and incarcerated in a prison in China in 2002 for making a special trip to China to explain to the CCP the facts of Falun Gong. She was subjected to brutal mistreatment and abuses during her detention. Ms. Kaneko used her own personal experience, recounting the kinds of tortures she had been subjected to in prison. She also said that all practitioners had blood tests, and they did not know why at the time. The other prisoners admired them and were even jealous. The secret was not revealed until 2005 when the incidents of organ harvesting were exposed.

Mr. Kan Ando, in charge of the Japanese Branch of the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) thanked Mr. Matas for coming to Japan to voice his concern about the brutal persecution of Falun Gong, and call for an end to the persecution.

Chief editor of the Japanese magazine 'Monthly China', Ms. Ming Xia, said that a number of media outlets reported that Japanese people traveled to China for organ transplants, but died shortly after returning to Japan. But the media did not make a deeper investigation into the sources of organs. The brutal facts should prompt all righteous persons to stand up to voice their concerns about China's human rights.