China's ambassador to Ireland is to be asked to appear before an all-party parliamentary committee to discuss claims his country's authorities have been harvesting human organs from prisoners. The committee is also asking Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern to raise the issue with his Chinese counterpart at a meeting of the ongoing EU-China dialogue on human rights.
The moves came after the Oireachtas (Gaelic for parliamentary) Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs heard the findings of a report investigating the possible organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners.
The report alleged that "the Chinese Government has over the past half decade put to death a large but unknown number of Falun Gong prisoners of conscience" and "simultaneously seized their vital organs for sale at high prices."
PHOTO: EPA
The committee had been addressed by former Canadian Secretary of State for the Asia Pacific region David Kilgour who co-wrote the report with David Matas, an international human rights lawyer.
Kilgour told the committee that those responsible for these deeds, including the doctors involved, should face the International Criminal Court as quickly as possible.
"We have a new form of evil in the world," he said. "These practices make crimes against humanity as defined by the Treaty of Rome and the International Criminal Court look more like misdemeanours." A misdemanour is a minor offence.
Committee chairman Dr Michael Woods of Prime Minister Bertie Ahern's Fianna Fail ruling party said Kilgour's report "made for compelling reading" and China should permit an independent investigation. (AFP)
中共駐愛爾蘭大使被要求出席跨黨派國會委員會，討論對於中國官方活體摘取囚犯器官的指控。委員會亦要求愛爾蘭外交部長德莫特．埃亨於中國歐盟人權對話會議上，向中國代表提出此項議題。
國會聯合委員會在聽取有關法輪功學員被活體摘除器官的調查發現後，提出這項要求。
這份報告宣稱「中國政府過去五年來處死大量(實際數字未知)的法輪功學員」並且「摘除他們的重要器官以高價賣出」。
加拿大前亞太司司長大衛?喬高，和共同撰寫此份報告的國際人權律師大衛．麥塔斯已在委員會上發表聲明。
喬高對委員會表示，該對這些行為負責的人，包括醫生在內，應該儘速接受國際刑事法庭的審判。
他表示︰「這世界存在著一種新型態的邪惡，這些行為讓羅馬條約和國際刑事法庭所定義的違反人道罪行相形之下如輕罪一般」。輕罪是指不嚴重的罪行。
委員會主席麥可．伍茲博士隸屬愛爾蘭總理博提．阿亨所領導執政的共和黨，他表示喬高的報告「不容忽視」，中國應准許進行獨立調查。（法新社╱翻譯︰鄭湘儀）
There were 127,350 measles cases reported in Europe and Central Asia last year, double the number of cases reported the previous year and the highest number since 1997, an analysis by the WHO and UNICEF showed. Measles outbreaks in West Texas and New Mexico in the US are now up to more than 250 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes. Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that is airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and was considered eliminated from the US since 2000. In the US,
The Lemon Festival is a fun annual celebration in Menton, France. This festival began in 1934 and honors the region’s exceptional lemons. __1__ in February during the lemon season, the festival features beautiful floats and sculptures covered with dazzling lemons and oranges. These citrus creations are on display in the bright sunshine throughout the day, while at night, they are lit up and turn the town into a __2__ spectacle. The festival’s origins can be traced back to the late 19th century, when Menton was a major lemon producer. __3__, hotels would decorate their spaces with lemons and oranges
中國海關總署突然發布通知，指台灣輸入的釋迦及蓮霧檢出介殼蟲「大洋臀紋粉蚧」，決定暫停輸入。 In September 2021, China’s customs administration announced that it would suspend imports of sweetsop and jambu from Taiwan, citing discoveries of Planococcus minor, a type of mealybug. 蓮霧 (jambu/champoo, Syzygium samarangense) ，又名洋蒲桃，是桃金孃科熱帶水果，原產於印尼和馬來西亞，在星、馬稱作水蓊，中、港、澳稱作天桃。 蓮霧學名中的種小名 samarangense，係因模式標本採自印尼的Semarang (三寶瓏) 而得名。 蓮霧馬來語稱為 jambu air，第二個字 air讀作 /?a??(r)/，是水的意思，荷蘭人從印尼引進台灣，台語音譯為蓮霧 ian-b?。 以往蓮霧常見譯為 wax apple，聽起來好像素描靜物用的蠟製水果 (Wax Fruit)，曾有人問美國朋友要不要吃蓮霧? Care for a wax apple? 對方回一句：Why not a real one? 近來美國市場流行泰語的講法 champoo。蓮霧果實長得像鈴鐺，因此又稱為 bell-fruit。 Syzygium samarangense is a tropical fruit in the family Myrtaceae, native to the Greater Sunda Islands and the Malay Peninsula. Common names in English include champoo, jambu, bell fruit, rose apple, Java apple, and wax apple. In Taiwan, the dark red cultivars are nicknamed “Black
Imagine standing in a lush forest, surrounded by the songs of birds and the rustling of leaves, with the earthy scent of soil and trees filling the air. This is the essence of forest bathing, a natural experience that brings peace to both body and mind. Originating from the Japanese term “shinrin-yoku,” forest bathing is a simple yet healing activity. It requires no special equipment or skills, just a willingness to disconnect from the digital world and embrace nature. The key is to use all of your senses to fully engage with the forest: feeling the warmth of sunlight on your
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