A six-member Austria human rights delegation on Tuesday said
China's new regulations banning the trade in human organ
transplants were "very positive."
Gabriele Heinisch-Hosek, head of the delegation, said the
regulations served as a very important legal shield for human
rights.
"We know the regulation will take effect on May 1, and we will
keep watching its implementation," said Hosek, chairwoman for the
equal rights committee of Austria's National Council.
China issued its first regulation on human organ transplants on
Friday, banning organizations and individuals from trading organs
in any form.
Last year, overseas news media accused the country's health
authorities of transplanting organs from executed prisoners, who
were not necessarily voluntary donors.
China's Supreme People's Court has ordered that organs of
executed prisoners be used for transplants only when the prisoners
voluntarily agreed, or their families had given consent.
The delegation, at the invitation of China Society for Human
Rights Studies, visited China from April 2 to 10, and discussed
with government officials issues covering the rights of women,
children and disabled, as well as the organ trade and death penalty
reform.
Though there was still a room for improvement in areas such as
the protection of the interests of farmers and minority groups,
China's human rights had seen progress, the delegation agreed.
"The Chinese officials not only showed us their achievements,
but also told us the disadvantages of their work," Hosek said.
The delegation visited Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an, in central
China's Shaanxi Province, and talked with government officials and
local residents
In a village near Xi'an, a woman farmer showed Hosek her 600
livestock.
"There I saw for myself the development of China's rural areas
and the improved life of the Chinese farmers, which makes me
believe that the disparity between Chinese rural and urban areas
has lessened," said Hosek.
She said local officials had admitted medical services and
social welfare in rural areas still failed to meet demand.
After talks with officials of the Office of the State Council
Three Gorges Project Construction Committee, Hosek said, "In terms
of human rights, the compensation for local residents who were
moved from the construction site to other places, is a valuable
measure to protect people's interests."
One official with the committee "frankly" told her that there
still existed infringements of people's rights during the
relocations.
Hosek, on her second visit to China since 2002, said, "The
Chinese officials at that time were not so daring to speak as this
time.
"We talked about many issues like rights of children and
disabled people, trafficking of human organs and ... the death
penalty."
Barbara Rosenberg, vice-director of Renner Institute, on her
first visit to China, said, "China has made progress in the human
rights field and the Chinese people have come to realize the
importance of human rights.
"But work still needs to be done to improve social welfare so
that everyone can benefit from the nation's fast economic
development."
She suggested China promote human rights education in primary
and middle schools.
She said Austria and China should have frequent dialogues on
human rights issues and better exchange ideas within the framework
of the United Nations.
(Xinhua News Agency April 11, 2007)
