TNAG-2605-FCO40-3793-Detention-of-Hong-Kong-residents-in-China-1992 — Page 44

FROM:

PS

TO:

PS/NO 10

CHINA AND TAIWAN:

TRADE IN ORGANS FOR EXECUTED PRISONERS: LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER FROM MR JIM CUNNINGHAM MP

1. Mr Jim Cunningham MP wrote to the Prime Minister on 23 July about organs from executed prisoners in China and Taiwan being used in transplant operations.

These

2. Amnesty International are now targetting China's widespread use of the death penalty as a focus of a new human rights campaign. Recent distasteful reports, notably a recent television story shown here, have highlighted a disturbing new trend for the use of organs from executed Chinese prisoners to be offered to the highest bidder. tend to be Hong Kong residents, some of who travel to China to await suitably-matched organs. The Hong Kong Government are doing what they can to discourage import of such organs, but cannot prevent their citizens going into China (many for life-saving operations for themselves, however unattractive the ethics).

3.

The draft reply to Mr Cunningham draws on information supplied by the Hong Kong Government.