End illegal organ harvesting
Dear Editor,
Governor Abbott recently signed Senate Concurrent Resolution 3, which condemns the practice of forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience in China. I want to publicly thank Senators Donna Campbell and Judith Zaffirini from the Hays County area for sponsoring SCR3, as well as Rep Erin Zwiener who voted in favor of the resolution.
The topic of organ harvesting in China is very relevant to my family. As mentioned in the resolution, the main victims of organ harvesting practice Falun Gong.
In 1996, when I was a university student in China, I had a lung disease and had to visit the hospital weekly. A friend recommended that I practice Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline combining “qigong” exercise, meditation, and a focus on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. After practicing for 1 month, not only did my illness disappear, but my relationships with others became harmonious.
There were countless stories like mine throughout China and Falun Gong became very popular in the 1990s. Government estimates at the time concluded that as many as 100 million people were practicing.
Because of the popularity and spiritual nature of Falun Gong, the Chinese Communist Party considered it a target to be eliminated and in July, 1999, began a brutal persecution to eradicate the practice.
Between October 1999 and June 2007, I was unlawfully imprisoned 4 times. While detained I was under tremendous pressure to renounce my belief through torture and brainwashing. My husband was jailed when I was 3 months pregnant, and our son didn’t meet his dad until he was 1 year old.
Coinciding with the crackdown on Falun Gong was an explosion of organ transplantation, which occurred without a voluntary organ donation program. Investigators have concluded that detained Falun Gong practitioners became an organ source.
In 2008, my family immigrated to the U.S.. We are very fortunate to live in the U.S. where our freedoms are protected. However, in China there are unknown numbers of Falun Gong practitioners, Tibetan Buddhists, House Christians and Uyghur Muslims who are behind bars where they are at great risk.
As a survivor of persecution in China, I applaud the efforts of Texas lawmakers. Our medical communities and residents need to be aware of the risks of transplant tourism. No one should become an unwitting accomplice to this crime against humanity.
Wendy Yang
Sugar Land, TX
