Prohibit forced organ harvesting
Petitioners ask Canada to condemn and halt China's alleged forced organ harvesting of Falun Gong, amend Canadian law to prohibit it, and publicly call for an end to their persecution. The government responds it has acted.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would publicly condemn alleged abuses and increase diplomatic pressure, signalling Canada’s opposition to forced organ harvesting and support for persecuted communities.
- Amending criminal law would create domestic tools to deter Canadians from participating in organ trafficking or transplant tourism.
- A public call would raise awareness, bolster advocacy and encourage international cooperation to investigate and prevent abuses.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- The petition's allegations are serious but contested; criminal or diplomatic measures could be premature without further verified evidence and due process.
- Targeted actions could provoke diplomatic or economic retaliation and complicate broader relations with China, reducing Canada’s leverage on other human rights issues.
- Practical limits: Canadian measures alone may have little effect inside China and enforcing extra‑territorial bans or investigations requires international cooperation and resources.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED We, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following: Whereas: Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline which consists of meditation exercise and moral teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance; In July 1999, the Chinese Communist Party launched an intensive, nationwide persecution campaign to eradicate Falun Gong. Hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been detained in forced labour camps, brainwashing centres and prisons, where torture and abuse are routine and thousands died as a result; Canadian lawyer David Matas and former Canadian Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific David Kilgour conducted an investigation in 2006 and concluded that the Chinese regime and its agencies throughout China have put to death a large number, in tens of thousands, of Falun Gong prisoners of conscience. Their vital organs were seized involuntarily for sale at high price; The Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH) has got about 1.5 million petition signatures from over 50 countries and presented to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights calling for immediate action to end the unethical practice of forced organ harvesting in China and calls for an end of the persecution of Falun Gong; and The European Parliament passed a resolution condemning the organ harvesting abuses in China and calls on the Government of China to end immediately the practice of harvesting organs from prisoners of conscience. Therefore we, the undersigned, request the Canadian parliament and government to: A) Pass a resolution to establish measures to stop the Chinese Communist regime's crime of systematically murdering Falun Gong practitioners for their organs; B) Amend Canadian legislations to combat forced organ harvesting; and C) Publicly call for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong in China.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Signed by Rob Oliphant The promotion and protection of human rights is an integral part of Canadian foreign policy and a priority in our government’s engagement with China. Canada has consistently called on China to respect, protect and promote freedom of expression, assembly and association, and religion or belief for all. Canada has publicly voiced concerns about the intimidation and repression of ethnic minority and religious groups, including Falun Gong practitioners, and will continue to do so at every appropriate opportunity. On January 23, 2024, in the context of the Universal Periodic Review of China at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Canada made specific reference to Falun Gong practitioners when it called on China to end all forms of enforced disappearance. Canada also continues to engage the People’s Republic of China on these issues, including at the highest levels. During her trip to China in July 2024, then Minister of Foreign Affairs, raised her concerns with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs. On December 10, 2024, Canada announced sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (People's Republic of China) Regulations against eight former or current senior officials involved in grave human rights violations in the country, including against Falun Gong practitioners. On December 14, 2022, Bill S-223 regarding organ harvesting and trafficking, which parliamentarians have linked to Uyghurs and Falun Dafa practitioners in China, was adopted unanimously at third reading in the House of Commons by a vote of 324-0. Bill S-223 then received Royal Assent the following day. Bill S-223 makes it a criminal offence for a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident to go abroad to receive an organ taken from someone who did not give informed consent to the removal of the organ. Canada joins jurisdictions such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Israel, Belgium, Norway, Spain, South Korea and Taiwan, that have passed legislation to combat forced organ harvesting, organ transplant tourism, and organ trafficking. The Government of Canada remains committed to combating all forms of human trafficking, including for the purposes of organ removal. The Government of Canada is actively engaged with other states, including China, to advocate and advance the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime’s Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. Addressing the illegal organ trade is complex and requires international cooperation. Canada actively participated in the development of the revised World Health Organization’s Guiding Principles on Human Organ and Tissue Transplantation, which Member States, including China, adopted in 2010. Furthermore, Canada continues to work closely with international partners to advance the freedom of persecuted faith and belief communities worldwide. In 2015, Canada established the International Contact Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief, co-Chaired by Canada and the United States. It is an important platform, which has brought together over 30 countries committed to protecting and promoting freedom of religion or belief. It has helped advance coordinated initiatives concerning issues of religious minorities around the world. Canadian engagement on human rights encompasses high level visits, public statements, representations on specific issues and cases of concern bilaterally as well as in multilateral forums, interventions and advocacy by its diplomatic missions, and outreach to civil society. The Government of Canada also regularly engages with a diverse range of civil society organisations, diaspora and faith and belief communities, and the broader international community to inform its approach in advocating for human rights, including freedom of religion or belief. This includes regular meetings with Canadian civil society organizations focused on the situation of human rights in China. Canada will never apologize for pursuing its national interests, which includes upholding global rules that govern human rights.