Cheng Pei Ming, who survived forced organ harvesting in China, escaped to the U.S. after enduring years of torture and organ removal by Chinese authorities.
According to Mail Online, Cheng Pei Ming's harrowing escape highlights a disturbing practice of forced organ removal targeting followers of Falun Gong in China.
Cheng Pei Ming, originally from Shandong Province, lived a tranquil life until 1999 when his world turned upside down due to his beliefs. As a practitioner of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement based on Buddhist traditions, Cheng found himself at odds with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which viewed the group with suspicion and hostility.
His troubles began that year with his arrest, marking the start of a prolonged period of persecution. Authorities subjected Cheng to brutal interrogations, detained him multiple times, and tortured him severely to break his spirit and assess his suitability as an organ donor. His situation worsened significantly when authorities sentenced him in 2002 to an eight-year term at Harbin Prison.
During his imprisonment, authorities subjected Cheng to unrelenting torture to coerce compliance and a confession of his spiritual practices. In 2004, while still incarcerated, they subjected him to a particularly brutal violation of his human rights. Without his consent and while fully conscious, they excised parts of his lung and liver—a violation later confirmed by medical examinations after his escape.
Reflecting on the traumatic event, Cheng recalled the horror of being pinned down and sedated, only to wake up amidst medical apparatuses, faintly aware of his violated body. "Six guards grabbed me and held me down, and I was injected with something. The next thing I remember is being in a hospital bed with tubes in my nose, going in and out of consciousness," Cheng recounted.
Later transferred to Daqing Prison, Cheng's mental state deteriorated, leading him to a desperate suicide attempt driven by the relentless mistreatment and the terror of his surroundings. The lack of regard for his life and health by his captors became painfully clear during these dark times.
"When they took me to the hospital again and said I had to have another operation, I thought for sure they were going to kill me," Cheng expressed about his thoughts in March 2006, just before his escape during another forced surgery. In a bold act of defiance and desperation, he managed to flee the custody of his captors, setting off a lengthy and perilous journey towards freedom.
Cheng's escape was not the end of his trials. For the next nine years, he adeptly avoided recapture within China's borders, eventually finding refuge in Thailand. After five years in Thailand, constantly fearing the long arm of Chinese authorities, he was finally granted UN refugee status and settled in the U.S. in 2020.
Detailed evaluations by American medical professionals confirmed Cheng's allegations by revealing clear evidence of the surgical removal of organ parts, underscoring the severity and truth of his claims. "This is a case of surgical assault resulting in the theft of organ parts, as well as pain and suffering," stated Professor Wendy Rogers, Chair of ETAC's International Advisory Board.
Cheng's ordeal has since garnered international attention, becoming a poignant symbol of the broader human rights abuses in China. He plans to shine a light on forced organ harvesting practices by speaking at an upcoming ETAC conference in Washington. His story fits into a disturbing pattern indicated by the China Tribunal and supported by the United Nations, suggesting widespread organ harvesting from prisoners, specifically targeting spiritual and religious groups.
David Matas, ETAC Co-Founder, highlighted Cheng's unique survivor status. "Mr. Cheng is, in one sense, a typical victim of China's forced organ harvesting practices—a Falun Gong practitioner who had their organs stolen by the CCP. In another sense, he is unusual because he survived organ extraction and escaped both the Chinese authorities and China itself."
In conclusion, Cheng Pei Ming's journey from a victim of forced organ harvesting to an international advocate against this atrocity encapsulates both the depth of human cruelty and the indomitable spirit of survival. His experiences underline ongoing concerns about human rights in China, and his advocacy offers a beacon of hope for others suffering under similar persecutions.
