DW: Beijing carefully ignores anniversary of violent Cultural Revolution
It has been 50 years since the spark that touched off China's volatile period of mass collectives and student uprising. Beijing did not mark the occasion, and clamped down on social media discussions of the event.
The Chinese media largely ignored a notable anniversary in the country's history on Monday as authorities continued to suppress discussion of some of the Communist Party's more violent chapters. Exactly 50 years ago, the party's Politburo met to launch what would become known as the Cultural Revolution.
On May 16, 1966, high-ranking politicians met in Beijing to purge several top officials who had fallen out of favor with leader Mao Zedong. The summit also produced a document that outlined the Party's new course of "the Great Leap Forward," i.e., the mass mobilization of citizens into collectives dedicated to a single industry or crop, and the destruction of the "Four Olds," or an ideological break with traditional Chinese customs.
The policy lasted for a decade until Mao's death in 1976. It has come to be regarded as a "catastrophe," for the violent persecution, famine and exile of educated youths to the countryside that came of it.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Not surprised by the silence. Many of China's current leaders suffered tremendously during the Cultural Revolution .... remembering it just brings back terrible memories. On a personal note .... when I was stationed in Fujian Province one of the first things that my Chinese hosts did while showing me the province was to bring me to the ancient Buddhist Kaiyuan Temple in Qunazhou city. The mayor who was showing me the place told me how during the height of the Cultural Revolution he and his friends had barricaded the main door of the temple while a mob of youngsters outside were trying to break in so that they could burn down this ancient place. I still remember that visit ... and I still cannot imagine how such an ancient and deeply spiritual place could have been destroyed in such a manner .... but fortunately it was saved because a few men were brave enough to face the mob. Sadly .... while this ancient treasure was not destroyed .... many valuable buildings and artefacts of China's history were. Sighhh .... the Islamic State is not the only movement in human history that has tried to destroy history .... die-hard Communist Revolutionaries in both China and the former Soviet Union did .... and on a far greater level than what has so-far been acknowledged. This is why the Chinese .... who today love their history and culture .... are so ashamed collectively of this period of their time .... because this was a time when cultural genocide was unleashed .... and the perpetrators were the Chinese themselves.
More News On Remembering China's Cultural Revolution
China's Cultural Revolution: 50th anniversary unmarked by state media -- BBC
China Barely Notes Start of Cultural Revolution 50 Years Ago -- AP
China silent on Mao's 'big mistake' 50 years after Cultural Revolution -- ABC News Online
China marks 50 years since Cultural Revolution with silence -- The Guardian
China Is Not Celebrating Cultural Revolution's 50th Anniversary -- NBC
Cultural Revolution: Anniversary China wants to forget -- Al Jazeera
Cultural Revolution demons haunt Chinese billionaire -- AFP
China’s Cultural Revolution anniversary now ‘taboo’ -- Rowan Callick, The Australian
Opinion: China's Cultural Revolution and the injustices of the present -- Felix Wemheuer, DW
It was the worst of times: China is still in denial about its “spiritual holocaust” -- The Economist
1 comment:
My spouse lost their family history due to the idiot Red Guards, who were egged on by the monster Mao, so we could regain the helm.
Hitler and Mao thought alike. Mao kept upsetting the apple cart to stay in power. He kept things in an uproar. Hitler fragmented Germany's chain of command so that he was less likely to be ousted.
Evil genius's are alike.
Post a Comment