Liver on Sale: China harvested organs of Uyghur Muslims

Ground Report | New Delhi: Liver on Sale; The brutal persecution of millions of people by Beijing is condemned around the world. But it is proving very lucrative for China. Concern over China's treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority in the country's vast northwestern region has been mounting for several years.

A report claims Beijing is making billions of dollars on the black market by forcibly amputating the organs of its vulnerable minorities – a dangerous allegation that, if proven true, would become the name of the movement from neighborhoods around the world.

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The number of operations performed, the incredibly short waiting lists for recipients and the expansion of facilities demonstrated "beyond a reasonable doubt" that "forced organ harvesting has been committed for years across China on a significant scale.", according to the report.

Liver on sale in China

A report by the Australian Institute for Strategic Policy (ASPI) also revealed "the massive transfer of Uyghur citizens and other ethnic minorities from the far west region of Xinjiang to factories across the country."

Conditions there strongly suggested forced labor, the report concluded, and Uyghurs were forced to work in factories that are "in the supply chains of at least 82 recognized global brands in the technology, apparel, and automotive sectors."

The Herald-Sun newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia published a recent report regarding alleged mistreatment of Uyghurs. The agency's report contains several gruesome details about how a 'healthy liver' fetches about US$160,000 in black market organ hauls, and how this trade brings 'at least US$1 billion' to China annually.

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The ASPI report estimates that some 80,000 Uyghurs were trafficked from Xinjiang to factories in China between 2017 and 2019. "In factories far from home, they usually live in separate dormitories, undergo organized Mandarin and ideological training outside of working hours, are subject to constant surveillance, and are prohibited from engaging in religious practices," the report says. (Liver on sale)

And they are underpaid if, at all, advocacy groups claim. Their forced labor makes the factories owned by the Communist Party, either directly or indirectly, a good sum. China's black market organ trade is estimated to be worth at least $ 1 billion a year.

A map of hospitals in China that perform organ transplants shows that they are close to known detention centers.

International condemnation grows

After years of pressure, several countries are stepping up to condemn China's treatment of Uyghurs and other minority groups. Canada's parliament described the persecution as "genocide," while the US State Department published a report that concluded that the atrocities amount to "genocide and crimes against humanity."

That latest report, the 2020 Human Rights Register, also launched indictments at Beijing that included “severe restrictions and suppression of religious freedom; substantial restrictions on freedom of movement; forced sterilization and forced abortions; forced labor and human trafficking ”.

At the time, the Chinese Foreign Ministry described the report as "the most absurd lie of the century, an outrageous insult and affront to the Chinese people." In early October, Beijing again fought back against renewed criticism for its treatment of the Uyghurs people, trying to divert attention to racial tensions in the United States.

"Due to the inaction and failed performance of some countries, including the United States, the international community still has a long way to go to eliminate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance," said the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zhao Lijian.

He said that "racism and white supremacy are still spreading in the United States" and that had "once again ripped apart the American disguise of 'equality' and 'freedom'."

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