Made In China: Kidney, Liver, Cornea? (Part 4)

This is obviously not in the exact same vicinity as my earlier posts on organ harvesting in China. Falun Gong pracitioners are not mentioned below. However, BBC News claim that "[t]he sale of organs taken from executed prisoners appears to be thriving in China". An undercover investigation made by the BBC has found that "[o]rgans from death row inmates are sold to foreigners who need transplants".

We all know that the Chinese government is the long time World Champion (by far) when it comes to executing human beings. Last year at least 1,770 people were executed. According to BBC News Amnesty International believe that the true figures are "much higher". The rumours of organ harvesting on prisoners are by no means new.

The Chinese Foreign ministry denies the allegations saying that "the organs were not taken forcibly, but only with the express permission of the convict"(!). As if that would make all the difference in the world. In all fairness; it is of course possible. On the other hand, one can surely question, as BBC does, "whether prisoners really are free to make up their own minds on organ donation just before they are executed". The BBC correspondent says, with a slight understatement, that it "is not at all clear".

You can find my earlier posts on the issue here (part 1, part 2 and part 3) and comments critizising me with almost the exact same words in both cases. Interesting.