Forced organ harvesting is the removal of organs from a living or deceased individual without consent. It is a thriving practice in prisons in China. The Chinese government is utilizing their prison population, particularly those that make up religious minorities such as the Falun Dafa/Gong, to prop up the illegal organ harvesting industry. The Minnesota House and Senate are working to raise awareness against this issue.

A letter signed by 50 legislators was recently sent to the Minnesota Medical Association asking them to take a position on the practice of forced organ harvesting and the patients from Minnesota that may travel to China to take advantage of the transplant availability. “We need a plan and guideline to prevent anyone from profiting from this horrendous practice in China,” said Sen. Abeler (R-Anoka). “It is vital that we continue to condemn forced harvesting and discourage our citizens from taking advantage of this crime against humanity.” Senator Carolyn Laine (DFL-Columbia Heights) declared, “This is a serious human rights issue and we all need to take a vocal stand on this practice.”

Minnesota and the U.S. House of Representatives have both passed resolutions against the practice but there is still a lot of work to be done. It starts with raising awareness and asking those in the medical field to speak out and develop plans to fight against the current system. Representative Nels Pierson (R-Stewartville) added, “My father was a heart transplant recipient, so I know firsthand the importance of focusing our efforts on supporting our citizens in need of transplants. But forced organ harvesting is an egregious practice, and we must fight to stop it and protect the rights of those who are subjected to this unethical treatment.”