ZHANG:
In an unprecedented move, the United Nations anti-torture committee is calling on the Chinese regime to investigate large-scale organ harvesting in the Mainland and to punish those responsible for this crime.
How are human rights experts reacting? Our Israeli bureau introduces us to one man who is working to raise awareness of the issue.
STORY:
Canadian investigators David Kilgour and David Matas first published their report exposing the systematic organ harvesting from live Falun Gong practitioners in China almost two years ago. The facts they described are so terrible that many can't believe such crimes are possible nowadays.
Here at the "Ethics and Human Rights in a Globalized World" symposium in Jerusalem, we asked some participants on their views of the facts.
[Sarah Wittkopp, PhD. Student, Germany]:
"This is very new that Human Rights committee condemned China for the first time. That's a very, very wonderful step, actually, that is brought to public and that the international awareness is raised... and well see how China reacts to that."
[Prof. Yuval Shany, Ac. Director, Minerva Center for HR]:
"I need to learn a lot more about the situation, of course, from the information that gets to Israel, you realize that there are some very serious problems and there are very serious shortcomings."
Mordechai Miller doesnt have any academic degrees, nor is he a human rights expert, but for this young man the facts are clear and beyond the shadow of a doubt.
[Mordecahi Miller, "Yeshiva" Student]:
"I was exposed to the terrible situation in China, through reading Rabbi Shlomo Aviners article.... I sat and wrote down, as a Jewish man, as someone who cares, and I published in "Makor Rishon" on the website and in the newspaper, and in NFC [Israeli website] and in my "Yeshiva", where I learn, that people should know what's happening with thousands and hundreds of thousands of people who are taken to camps, fired from their jobs, books are being burned, houses are being destroyed, lives are being destroyed just for believing in compassion, just for being good people, caring people, in China, China is a dictatorship."
Mordechai isn't only writing about the issue, he is also telling the facts to his friends.
[Meir Buchnik, Mordechai's Friend]:
"He actually gave me facts and showed me the facts... and reading about it on the Internet and after looking at it, I found that it's actually true. I felt terrible and how it can be that I am living and go through my day without knowing about such a terrible thing happening every day, basically."
And what does Mordechai thinks about the people and the governments who still take no action?
[Mordechai Miller, "Yeshiva" Student]:
"A lot of people just couldn't believe it, and for a lot of people, it's better for them to close their eyes...So many camps all over China. As I am talking now, yesterday and tomorrow... if nothing is done, these horrifying things, this nightmare will continue."
NTD, Israel.
ZHANG:
Our correspondents in Israel will continue to monitor and report on public reactions to organ harvesting as events unfold.
Professor Ariel Toaff, son of the former chief rabbi of Rome. From his book "Blood Passovers".
Ask those hundreds of Fatah Arabs who fled from Gaza to Israel because they were shut by Hamas, as those Arab patients who come from everywhere in the middle-east to Israel and ask the numerous victims of natural disasters around the world.
The only crime we're guilty of is putting our children safety first. As if your country wouldn't do the same if rockets flew from Norway cities for 8 years. Stick to your stereotypes you ignorant.
I don't like the way the palestiniens are treated and how you interfer with other countrys free press. Trying to freighten international papers from critizing. First of all, no matter taking organs or not. Those palestiniens were murdered. That is the first crime. second: rumors that there organs were taken and storys from 20 familys was enough for making a article. True or not, it can't slip away.
There is an explanation to every Arab killed. You might not like the answer but most Arabs killed in 60 years were not innocent. However, more than 1500 Israelis were murdered after the Oslo accords but that doesn't seem to make much impression on you. I wonder why?! (not really, the answer is obvious)