Re: Inside China's 'Crematorium' Nov. 24.

The Citizen article on allegations of organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners identified the Chinese Medical Association (CMA) as a non-governmental organization. The CMA had agreed to take the Citizen reporter, at its expense, to the medical facility at Sujiatun.

The Chinese communist regime does not allow independent organizations, and this medical association is no exception. According to its charter, the CMA is funded by the Chinese government and its leaders must "uphold the principles, guidelines, and policies of the [communist] party." Since the communists took control of China in 1949, more than half of the CMA's presidents have at the same time been the Chinese minister or deputy minister of health. Other CMA executives are heads or high-level administrators of hospitals named in the organ harvesting allegations. In other words, the CMA is implicated in the allegations of state-organized organ snatching.

The CMA has played an active role in the persecution of Falun Gong. CMA leaders have organized forums, published opinion articles and mobilized medical professionals to "firmly carry out the spirit of the Central Party Committee" and "fight the Falun Gong to the end." These words are from Zhang Wenkang, written in his capacity as both CMA president and Chinese health minister.

The CMA is an arm of the Communist regime in its efforts to destroy Falun Gong, and thus any investigation arranged or sponsored by this organization immediately loses its credibility.

The Chinese authorities have continually denied any independent investigation of the organ harvesting crimes against Falun Gong practitioners. Former MP David Kilgour and lawyer David Matas, as well as Amnesty International have not been allowed to investigate the organ harvesting reports. The office of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture took 10 years to arrange a visit to China to investigate torture and still Manfred Nowak, the rapporteur, said his investigation was interfered with. Coincidentally, Mr. Nowak finds the claims of organ harvesting against Falun Gong practitioners plausible.

Lucy Zhou, Kanata

Falun Dafa Association of Canada