Amnesty Group 342 to host film screening on 11 November

Local Amnesty International Group Hosts Screening of Free China


(CHESTER COUNTY, PA) -- Amnesty International Group 342, based in Chester County, is  sponsoring a free public screening of the documentary film Free China: The Courage to Believe, at the Tredyffrin Library in Strafford on Monday, November 11, 2013, at 7 p.m.

This 2012 award-winning film, directed by Michael Perlman and coproduced by NTD Television and World2Be Productions, addresses the Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, which includes torture, imprisonment, and involuntary harvesting of their organs for wealthy patients. Free China tells the stories of Jennifer Zeng, a former Communist Party member who was imprisoned by the Chinese government for practicing Falun Gong, and Charles Lee, a Chinese-American doctor who was sentenced to three years in a Chinese labor camp for trying to publicize the government's persecution of the group. 

"With its focus on the government's abuse of people who are peacefully engaging in a spiritual practice, Free China is a film in alignment with Amnesty International's mission to stand up for human rights," says Barbara Quintiliano, the organizer of Group 342. "In fact, Amnesty International has been actively involved in documenting and protesting the harassment and torture of Falun Gong practitioners in China since 1999, when the Chinese government officially banned the religion."

The screening will take place at the Tredyffrin Library (582 Upper Gulph Rd., Strafford; directions) on Monday, November 11, at 7 p.m. Following the one-hour-long film there will be time for questions and discussion with Dr. Ann Corson of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting and Alexander Luchansky of Amnesty International Group 342. For more information about this event, please contact Group 342 at amnestyintl342@hotmail.com.

Founded in 1961, Amnesty International is a nongovernmental organization that works to end human rights abuses. With over 3 million members in 150 countries and territories, Amnesty International uses education and action to transcend political, economic, and religious boundaries to unite people worldwide in the pursuit of freedom and justice.

For the film's trailer, please visit www.FreeChinaMovie.com.

For more information about Amnesty International Group 342, please visit amnestyeastpa.org/localgroups/chestercounty/.