Question: Has it been resolved whether the human bodies on exhibition at Ala Moana Center were acquired from China with the consent of the person before death or permission from family? The company, Premier Exhibitions, Inc., has stated the bodies were “;unclaimed”; and legally and ethically obtained. It also has said the bodies are “;plastic models,”; but in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, advertisements for the exhibition say “;real human bodies.”; Which is true?

An inside look

“;Bodies ... The Exhibition”; is a display of preserved human bodies.

» When: Through Jan. 18

» Where: Ala Moana Center

» Time: 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday; and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday.

» Tickets: $26 for people age 13-64; $24 for seniors 65 or older; $18 for children 4-12; $6 for audio tour

» Information: (877)-BODIES5, or visit bodiestickets.com Answer: The cadavers displayed in “;Bodies ... The Exhibition,”; which has been extended until Jan. 18 at Ala Moana Center, came from the Dalian Medical University in China, Roy Glover, chief medical officer and spokesman for Premier Exhibitions, told the Star-Bulletin in June.

However, Premier has stated on its Web site, bodiesexhibition.com, that “;The Chinese Bureau of Police may receive bodies from Chinese prisons,”; so the company “;cannot independently verify that the human remains you are viewing are not those of persons who were incarcerated in Chinese prisons.”; Glover has said the displays are real human bodies whose tissue fluids are replaced by liquid silicone.

In May, Premier reached a settlement with the New York attorney general's office requiring the company to show documentation demonstrating the cause of death and origins of the cadavers and body parts it displays in future New York exhibits, as well as proof that the decedent consented to the use of his or her remains.

Under the agreement, the company also put $50,000 in escrow for ticket refunds to customers who may seek their money back if they can prove they went to the New York exhibit but would not have attended had they known about the questionable origins of the bodies, according to a news release.

Kirk Donahoe, assistant director of the Laogai Research Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based group that has raised concerns about Premier's exhibits, said “;not much has changed”; since the New York settlement.

“;I don't know of anyone having ever identified any of those bodies,”; Donahoe wrote in an e-mail. He went on to say that Premier “;still claims that they have had experts examine the remains and concluded that they were not victims of torture or execution.”;

In Hawaii, there are no laws regulating the exhibit of human bodies, according to state Rep. Marcus Oshiro, whose office has fielded calls from residents concerned about possible exploitation of cadavers by Premier, but also from people praising the exhibit's scientific value.

Oshiro, (D-Wahiawa, Poamoho), said he is drafting legislation to demand that exhibitors in the state follow similar guidelines issued by New York when displaying human bodies. Oshiro said Hawaii's attorney general's office told him it could not investigate the ongoing Honolulu exhibition under state law.

“;There is no law regulating exhibition of human bodies,”; Oshiro said. “;I would like to have the consent, verification that these human remains, whether a body or body parts, were obtained with the approval of the person. After all, we are talking about real human bodies, real flesh and bone.”;

Oshiro said he is welcoming feedback about the exhibit to help him draft his bill. People may call his office at 586-6200.

Calls and e-mails seeking further comment from Premier officials and organizers of Hawaii's bodies exhibit were not immediately returned.