Extracts. Transplant Allegation Is A Lie: Chinese Doctor The self-claimed "burns specialist" who claimed to have removed skin from nearly 100 executed Chinese prisoners for transplant in front of US congressmen last week has never been professionally qualified for transplant operations, a Chinese doctor said Wednesday. "The so-called systematic harvest of organs of executed prisoners for sale in Tianjin <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/tianjin.html> has been concocted by Wang Guoqi and Wu Hongda for their despicable motives," said Tian Fuming, vice- president of the Tianjin General Hospital of the People's Armed Police, where Wang once worked. Tian, a neurological internist, was speaking at a press conference held by the State Council's Information Office, Wednesday, in Beijing <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/beijing.html> and attended by more than 50 Chinese and foreign journalists. Wang told the US congress, in a hearing last week, that he obtained a diploma) of higher learning in surgery and human organic structure from a health school of the Armed Police. In fact, Doctor Tian said, that the school only offers vocational training and Wang himself had been only a junior medical worker, without the qualifications or ability to participate in transplant operations. Moreover, during the time Wang worked at the armed police hospital in Tianjin, about two hours east of Beijing, "the hospital was so small that it was inadequate to conduct cornea and kidney transplant operations, and the burn unit only treats minor and medium-level burns by autograft," Doctor Tian said. Wang claimed that he went to Hebei <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/hebei.html> Province in October 1995 to "harvest" organs of executed prisoners and created a sensational description of it. But the hospital vice-president presented a record book to journalists which shows that Wang stayed at the hospital all that month. Wang said in the hearing that he saw three doctors remove the kidneys of an executed prisoner who was not yet dead, and "when they finished the prisoner was still breathing and his heart continued to beat." The vice-president countered by asking that "if a person's blood dried out, can his heart continue to beat? Wang even didn't think about the medical ABCs when fabricating lies." Wang was transferred to the Maternal and Infant Health Care Center of Hedong District of Tianjin in 1997, and he never worked there. When asked why Wang fabricated all the lies, Chen Su, deputy director of the Information Office of Tianjin Municipal People's Government, said that he did so to "seek political asylum." Wu Hongda, also known as Harry Wu, who collaborated with Wang in this case, has been an anti-China activist. He has been notorious for claiming to secretly videotape a heart operation in China as a kidney transplant operation, and claiming ordinary tombs as those of executed prisoners, just in order to support his allegation that the Chinese government supports the sale of body organs of executed prisoners without consent from them or their family members, according to the information officer. Chen stressed that trading in human organs is strictly prohibited by law in China, and transplants, using organs of executed prisoners, are under clear-cut restrictive stipulations. Medical and research institutes may take organs of an executed convict only after they obtained the convict's signature before his death or consent from his family members, as well as approval from the concerning public health department of the government and judicial departments. **** DPRK Supreme People's Assembly President to Visit Vietnam President of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/dprk.html> ) Kim Yong Nam will pay an official visit to Vietnam <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/vietnam.html> from July 11-14, a Vietnamese Spokeswoman announced Thursday. The visit, which is made at the invitation of Vietnamese State President Tran Duc Luong, aims to consolidate and further promote the friendship and the traditional cooperation between Vietnam and DPRK, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh noted. This will be the visit to Vietnam by a highest-ranking official of DPRK since 1958, when the late leader of DPRK Kim Il Sung visited Vietnam. During the visit, Kim Yong Nam is scheduled to have talks with Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong on promoting the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries in the early years of the 21st century. Kim Yong Nam will also meet with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nong Duc Manh, Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and newly-elected National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An, Thanh revealed. During the visit, the two sides are expected to sign cooperation agreements on the culture, education and other fields. **** DPRK, Netherlands to Found Joint Venture Corporation Pyongyang General Horticulture Company of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/dprk.html> ) and the Holland Euro-Asia Group of the Netherlands <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/netherlands.html> signed Wednesday a contract to set up a joint venture corporation, local media reported on Thursday. The two companies will jointly set up a new corporation, Pyongyang-Euro Asia Joint Venture, which will focus on cultivating vegetables and flowers, said Korean Central News Agency. President of the Holland Euro-Asia Group Bin Yang and staff members from both companies as well as relevant officials from the DPRK side attended Wednesday's signing ceremony at the People's Palace of Culture of Pyongyang. **** DPRK, Netherlands to Found Joint Venture Corporation Pyongyang General Horticulture Company of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/dprk.html> ) and the Holland Euro-Asia Group of the Netherlands <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/netherlands.html> signed Wednesday a contract to set up a joint venture corporation, local media reported on Thursday. The two companies will jointly set up a new corporation, Pyongyang-Euro Asia Joint Venture, which will focus on cultivating vegetables and flowers, said Korean Central News Agency. President of the Holland Euro-Asia Group Bin Yang and staff members from both companies as well as relevant officials from the DPRK side attended Wednesday's signing ceremony at the People's Palace of Culture of Pyongyang. **** Israel's Sharon Faces First Cabinet Crisis Israel <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/israel.html> i Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is facing his first cabinet crisis since his national unity government took office last March as two of his ministers decided to boycott cabinet meetings. Although the two, Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi and National Infrastructure Minister Avigdo Lieberman, said on Thursday that they would not leave the government immediately, the boycott decision is still a severe blow to Sharon's dream to glue the left and the right together in his government. Ze'evi and Lieberman both belong to the far-right party National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu, which has seven seats in the 120-member Knesset (parliament). Their decision was made after Wednesday's security cabinet meeting, in which the left-wing and right-wing ministers engaged in stormy debate. The security cabinet finally decided to continue the ceasefire with the Palestinians, which infuriated the right-wing politicians. Israel and the Palestinians have been in bloody clashes for nine months, during which more than 600, most of them Palestinians, have been killed. A ceasefire took effect on June 13 between Israel and the Palestinians, following mediation by U.S. Central Intelligence Agency chief George Tenet, but violence is still raging. Ze'evi and Lieberman are the most vocal right-wing ministers, who urged Sharon to "end the policy of restraint and strengthen the Jewish settlements" in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Their stands collide with those of the left wing, represented by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres from the Labor party, who has urged the government to continue refraining from launching military attacks against the Palestinians and evacuate at least illegal Jewish settler outposts, established since the election victory of Sharon in February. The Labor party has said that it would welcome withdrawal of the right-wing politicians from the cabinet, a move which analysts say would strengthens Peres' position in the cabinet and his relationship with Sharon. "From our point of view, the sooner Lieberman and Gandhi (Ze'evi) go home, the better," said Labor officials. **** Sharon Says Ready for Concessions, Insists on Cease-fire Visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday that Israel is ready for "big and painful" concessions in seeking a solution to the Middle East conflicts. But the prerequisite for the restarting of the peace process is an "absolute cease-fire," Sharon said after talks with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Israel is ready to realize the Mitchell Plan, but there would be no compromise with the terror, the 73-year-old Israeli leader said. He and Schroeder admitted that the Mitchell Plan is a good instrument in solving conflicts. The plan drafted by an international commission led by former U.S. senator George Mitchell called for an immediate and unconditional cease-fire in the Middle East and recommended Israel to halt settlement building and modify its harsh attitude in dealing with unarmed Palestinian demonstrators. Saying that Germany has a "balanced attitude" toward the nations in the region, Sharon expressed his hope that Germany could continue to mediate in the Middle East conflicts so that the peace process could restart. Schroeder said the security demands of Israel could only be guaranteed when all peoples in the region got a peace and prosperity perspective. He called on Israel to be flexible on the issue of Jewish settlements. The chancellor said Germany could only play a mediating role in the frame of the European Union, which should also have a " seamless consensus" with the United States on the Middle East situation. Accompanied by Schroeder, Sharon earlier Thursday laid down wreaths at the memorial place for Jewish victims during World War II at the Grunewald Railway Station in Berlin. Sharon, who is in Germany for a one-day visit, is scheduled to meet German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer later Thursday. **** Chinese Top Lawmaker Meets Palestinian Guest Li Peng <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/people/lipeng.shtml> , chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/organs/npc.shtml> ), met Thursday with Salem Zanoun, chairman of the Palestine National Council, at the Great Hall of the People. After extending a warm welcome to Zanoun and his visiting delegation, Li said China has been one of the first countries to support the Palestine Liberation Organization and acknowledge the state of Palestine, and provided with the Palestinian people with resolute and selfless support in their struggle to restore legitimate national rights in various historical periods. Li said China is deeply worried about the drawn-out escalation of conflicts between Israel <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/israel.html> and Palestine since last September, which has brought to Palestinian side great losses of life and property and resulted in continuous tensions in the Middle East. China is concerned over and sympathetic with the Palestinian people for their difficulties and sufferings, the top Chinese lawmaker said. He stressed that China is opposed to any act of abuse of armed forces that jeopardizes the safety of life and property of Palestinian civilians. It has been proven by facts that conflicts and confrontation would only further complicate the Middle East issue, while dialogue and negotiation are the only path leading to peace, Li said. China appreciates Palestinian leaders for their active efforts to win support and sympathy from the international community and adhere to the policy of peace negotiation, he said, adding that China welcomes all peace-brokering efforts by international community that are conducive to restoring its regional stability and reopening peace talks. As a true-hearted friend to the Arabian people, and especially the Palestinian people, China will as always support Palestine people's righteous cause to restore legitimate national rights, and continue to work with the international community for the promotion of settlement of the Middle East issue at an earlier date, Li Peng said. Zanoun expressed his gratitude to the NPC Standing Committee for the invitation to visit China and to Li Peng for granting audience of the delegation. He briefed Li on the latest development of the Middle East situation on behalf of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union. He said that China has been the first country that acknowledged the state of Palestine and has always resolutely supported the righteous cause of the Palestinians. The Arab countries and the Palestine have high regards toward China and are sincerely grateful, he said. Zanoun noted that the Middle East issue has been under pressure of power politics, and the Palestinians expect the international community to show more support to their righteous struggle to restore legitimate national rights, and China to continue to play an important role in this respect. He spoke highly of the successful visits by President Jiang Zemin and Li Peng to Palestine in recent years, expressing satisfaction over the notable developments in bilateral relations over the years. Buhe <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/people/buhe.shtml> , vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, held a talk with Zanoun Thursday prior to the meeting. **** Palestinian Killed, 3 Wounded in West Bank Clashes One Palestinian was killed and three others wounded Thursday in a gun battle near the West Bank city of Ramallah, Israel Radio reported. The incident took place when the Israeli army tried to enter a Palestinian village near the Jewish settlement of Psagot, the radio quoted a Palestinian source as saying. A conflicting report from the Israeli army spokesman's office said that the killed Palestinian, a 39-year-old man, was shot while Israeli soldiers returned fire to the gunmen attacking the settlement. But Palestinian sources said that the man, an unarmed civilian, was playing soccer in an open field when the clashes occurred. An Israeli army spokeswoman said that it was the Palestinian side who attacked the settlement first and she didn't know how many Palestinians were wounded. An Israeli soldier was slightly wounded in the clashes, she added. The death has brought to 17 the number of Palestinians killed since an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire took effect on June 13. During the period, 10 Israelis were also killed. The two sides have been engaged in clashes for more than nine months, during which over 600 people, most of them Palestinians, have been killed. **** One in Five Russian Wants Return to Soviet System One in five Russians would welcome a return to the old Soviet socialist system, according to a poll published Thursday. Forty eight percent of respondents to the monitoring.ru poll supported Russia's economic reforms in general, while wishing that the population had more social security. Just 16 percent of those polled hoped that the reforms would continue in the same fashion, Interfax reported. A further 16 percent offered no opinion. The economic reforms introduced since th fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 have not profited the majority of the people, and a large number of Russians are considerably poorer than they were under the socialist system. Many Russian view the old days with varying degrees of nostalgia, and most supported the decision to restore the old Soviet national anthem, albeit with modified lyrics. President Vladimir Putin, a former KGB agent, recently said that "anyone who does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart, anyone who wants its return has no head". The pollsters quizzed 1,600 people throughout the country in late June. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
