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Federation Mondiale de Medecins Pour le Respect de la Vie Humaine Federacion Mundial de Medicos Que Respetan la Vida Humana President: K.F. Gunning,
M.D., Groene Wetering 24, 3062 PC Rotterdam,
Netherlands General Secretary: Dr.Ph.Y.M.J.H. Schepens, Serruyslaan 76, 8400 Ostend,
Belgium Rotterdam, February 2001 To the members of the European Parliament The following letter has been sent today to the
members of the Dutch "Eerste Kamer der Staten Generaal" (the Dutch
Senate). Re: Euthanasia Dear Madam/Sir, Accepting the Bill on euthanasia will mean that the
patiënt loses the legal protection that was guaranteed to him by the European
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. For
abolishing the punishability of killing at the patient's request inevitably
opens the possibility for the doctor to kill a patient with impunity without request. It is the doctor himself who composes the report on
the basis of which the regional committee must judge whether the doctor has
adhered to the rules of carefulness. Patients who don't want euthanasia have
no guarantee at all that they will not be killed. For once the patient is
dead the doctor may write in the report what he likes. The new bill protects
the euthanizing doctor instead of the patient who risks to be euthanized. The
doctor will have freedom to choose between life and death. Holland will
become a "iatrocracy", a society ruled by physicians. Is that what
we really want? The first duty of a democratic government is to
protect its citizins. Article 2 of the European Convention says:
"Everyone's right to life shall be protected by law". The new bill
removes this right to protection.This must be regarded as indecent policy. Hoping that the Chamber will consider this question. Yours respectfully, K.F. Gunning, M.D., President World Federation of Doctors who Respect
Human Life Dr. Ph.Y.M.J.H.Schepens, E.N.T., General Secretary World Federation of Doctors who
Respect Human Life, Member of the Board of the Pontifical Academy For
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