(Minghui.org) The Pennsylvania Chapter of Amnesty International held a screening of Free China: The Courage to Believe , at the Tredyffrin Library in Chester County, on November 11, 2013.
Over 40 local people viewed the film, then later participated in a group discussion. Many people said that they were shocked at the information revealed in the film.
Directed by Michael Perlman of Tibet: Beyond Fear and co-produced by New Tang Dynasty Television, the award-winning film Free China tells the remarkable stories of Jennifer Zheng and Dr. Charles Lee, a Chinese American businessman.
Both Jennifer and Charles, along with hundreds of thousands of peaceful citizens in China, are routinely tortured and subjected to slave labor for their spiritual beliefs.
The documentary puts a human face on the Chinese regime’s human rights abuses: arbitrary detention of dissidents, harvesting of organs from living prisoners of conscience, and the export of products made by forced labor to the West.
The film also examines how Chinese citizens are beginning to resist the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) Internet censorship, as they slowly awaken to their rights of conscience.
After the film concluded, Barbara Quintiliano of Amnesty International lead a group discussion about slave labor in Chinese prisons, how the Chinese regime is persecuting Falun Gong, and the harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners for profit.
Originally from China, Ms. Tao and Ms. Zhang recounted being tortured in their own country for holding fast to their belief in Falun Gong. Among other things, they were forced to make products for export.
Ms. Zhang, 80, said, “I was ordered to stand still for long periods of time under the baking sun, then I had to run back and forth until I almost collapsed.
“I was also forced to make products for export from 5 a.m. to midnight everyday. I passed out many times.”
During the three and a half years that Ms. Tao was illegally imprisoned, she recalled having her blood drawn by prison doctors. It was only after she was released that she realized that she may have narrowly escaped having her organs harvested, because such blood tests are normally done to profile a potential organ donor.
Philadelphia resident Dr. Ann said that she first heard about the Party's live organ harvesting back in 2008. She told the story of Dr. Jacob Lavee, the Israeli transplant surgeon who's patient told him about going to China for a scheduled heart transplant. This event led Dr. Lavee to begin his campaign to stop Israelis from going to China for organs. (Please refer to Dr. Lavee's essay in State Organs)
Dr. Ann recalled being shocked back then, especially when she found out that Chinese doctors knowingly and willingly participated in the crime.
She joined Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting to help raise awareness of this despicable practice and to stop these crimes against humanity.
“I feel sorry for what is happening in China,” said Ruth, one of the attendees. “Falun Gong practitioners are experiencing unimaginable suffering. Live organ harvesting is extremely cruel and must stop!
“Ms. Zhang, who is in her 70s, should not have suffered like this merely for following her beliefs. She is such a kind person. I am going to learn more about Falun Gong and live organ harvesting.”
Christopher Fritz wanted to know why mainstream media was not reporting on this human tragedy. Alex, whose grandfather was a survivor of the Nazis' genocide, told Christopher that the Nazi crimes had been well covered up while they were in power.
“Before the Nazi atrocities were exposed,” explained Alex, “people often came across bloodied fragments of human hair and teeth, but refused to believe that the Nazis were engaged in a full-fledged genocide. As more and more evidence came to light, people started awakening to the suffering of the Jews. Isn't this similar to the CCP's cover-up of live organ harvesting?”
Due to the Chinese regime's restriction on information and political censorship, many foreign media intentionally steer clear of this topic in order to protect their own interests in China. But as more details of this atrocity surface, it will attract increasing attention in the media.
CNN columnist Sarah Cook recently wrote an article titled How Chinese Censorship is Reaching Overseas , which exposed the media's propensity towards self-censorship.
After the discussion, Mr. Fritz said, “This event was well organized and very educational!”