TNAG-2605-FCO40-3793-Detention-of-Hong-Kong-residents-in-China-1992 — Page 45

FROM:

The Prime Minister

TO:

Jim Cunningham Esq MP House of Commons

London SW1AA OAA

1

Thank you for your letter of 23 July about the use of organs taken from executed Chinese prisoners in transplant operations in such places as Hong Kong and Taiwan.

We are aware, from organisations such as Amnesty International and from a recent television programme, of these reports. The British Government abhor the practice of using organs from executed prisoners in China, Taiwan, or indeed from anywhere, in such operations. We have consistently expressed our deep concern to the Chinese authorities about human rights abuses throughout China, including Tibet, and ensure that human rights are on the agenda of every meeting with Chinese Ministers. Persons in detention, or subject to a death sentence, are in a

Yes. particularly vulnerable position. We regard it as fundamental

Hurrah!

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to the protection of prisoners rights that they should not be subjected to the threat of removal of organs, unless they have freely given their consent.

A Bill to prohibit the trade in human organs in Hong Kong was introduced into Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo) on 8 April this year, and is currently under study by a LegCo ad hoc working group. The bill makes it an offence for any person to be involved in the sale or purchase of human organs, whether removed from a living or dead person. The bill cannot of course have extraterritorial effect, but it will prevent the import of commercially-obtained organs for transplant purposes. It also seeks to ban all advertisements and solicitations relating to commercial trading in human organs.

You also raised the issue of the death penalty in China. Capital punishment is, as you know, an extremely difficult issue on to which get agreement. Diametrically opposed views are held by people whose moral integrity cannot be called into

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