Seeing red on China

Senator says ‘barbaric’ organ harvest breaking human rights

LIBERAL senator Eric Abetz has lashed China’s “barbaric” practice of forced organ harvesting, in the latest swipe against Beijing from an Australian politician.

The former minister says China’s organ harvesting trade is completely unacceptable and “a breach of every concept of human rights”.

“Our relationship with China is very important. That said, we have an even higher calling and that is to ensure we do not provide comfort and succour to the barbarism that’s occurring,” he told ABC Radio yesterday. Australian researchers have found that China appears to be falsifying organ donation figures.

This has raised concerns about whether the country has moved away from forced organ harvesting from prisoners.

“What they are undertaking is illegal. It’s a breach of every fundamental human right that you can think of,” Senator Abetz said. “Universities in particular have a role to play here to ensure they are not unwittingly part and parcel of this barbaric trade.”

His blistering words follow other Australian politicians criticising China for its mass detention of Uighurs and other

Muslim minorities, police brutality in Hong Kong and detention of pro-democracy activist Yang Hengjun. At the same time, federal politicians with economic portfolios have emphasised the need to maintain ties with Australia’s largest trading partner.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said it was important to ensure good relations with China.

“Things are delicate at the moment, but yes we will work through those issues as we always do in a responsible and informative way,” he said.

Resources Minister Matt Canavan said it was important to recognise human rights issues, but people should be positive about the millions of Chinese who have been lifted out of poverty, partly due to Australia’s mining exports.