Thank you for contacting me about the treatment of Falun Gong prisoners.
I can assure you that the Government has expressed concern about the poor treatment of prisoners in China, including Falun Gong practitioners. It is unacceptable that the Falun Gong community continues to be subject to repression throughout China, with reports of its practitioners being prosecuted for "illegal cult activities".
Criminal justice reform and the rule of law, including torture prevention and the treatment of detainees, has been a consistent focus of the Government's human rights engagement with the Chinese authorities both at ministerial level and through project work on the ground. This includes through the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue that takes place annually.
I would also highlight that the Government continues to raise concerns about the issue of forced organ harvesting in China. Organs removed from executed prisoners are used for human transplantation purposes in China, but Chinese law requires that prisoners give prior consent that their organs be used in that way.
I was interested to discover that the Chinese Government has taken welcome steps towards regulating the use of donated organs, moving it closer to international standards. I fully support these efforts to tackle this serious issue and I am pleased that the UK will continue to encourage China to make further progress, including by committing to share best practice.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
