Over the years, the Chinese government has been charged with a number of atrocities. It imprisons those who have the guts to speak out and censors its populace. The nation had a one-child restriction for a very long time that was closely adhered to.
Moreover, the government has incarcerated over a million Uyghur Muslims. The nation is being accused of committing genocide by the world community.
Then there is the organ harvesting industry. The nation is a top location for organ transplants utilizing reportedly forcibly taken body parts from helpless victims. Recently, the US House worked together to adopt legislation addressing these behaviors.
The Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2023 was approved by the House on March 27 with the cooperation of Democrats and Republicans. On a vote of 413-2, the bill was overwhelmingly approved. The legislation that would punish anyone participating in organ harvesting with both civil and criminal sanctions was proposed by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ).
If found guilty, the offender could receive up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The civil fine may reach $250,000. Also, the government would have to publish yearly reports on the subject.
The measure is not only symbolic; it has “real teeth,” and lawmakers are “not kidding,” according to Rep. Smith, who also claimed that China’s forced organ harvesting is a “crime against humanity” and that “Xi Jinping is directly responsible” for the country’s “war on innocent people.”
Similar legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senators Chris Coons and Tom Cotton. According to the proposed legislation, the Secretary of State would be able to refuse passports and visas to anyone who are engaged in organ trafficking. Additionally, it would impose penalties on anyone engaged in the activity and call for annual reporting on organ harvesting in other nations.
In a statement on March 9, Cotton referred to the Chinese government’s organ harvesting operation as “cruel and immoral,” noting that it frequently targets vulnerable groups including religious and racial minorities.
In 2019, a disturbing report about the Chinese government’s organ harvesting initiative was released by an impartial tribunal in London. The panel looked into the charges for years before concluding that organ theft had been occurring “on a significant scale” in China. Many of the harvesting victims were Falun Gong practitioners, who follow a form of Buddhism.
UK legislators are also attempting to limit organ travel to China.
