Can China's new leaders finally lay to rest ghosts of the Cultural Revolution?
Lijia Zhang welcomes the debate sparked by the recent trial of a man suspected of a 1967 killing
Once again, the term wen ge - short for the Cultural Revolution - is buzzing around China's web. This time, discussion was sparked by the trial last month of a man for an alleged murder in 1967, at the height of the Cultural Revolution.
In 1966, Mao Zedong had launched the mass political movement, intending to remove "capitalists" who had infiltrated the party. In reality, the enemies of the state existed nowhere but in the confused mind of the "Great Helmsman". In the name of the revolution, factional wars were fought; leaders at all levels were overthrown; and many intellectuals and other so-called "bad elements" were persecuted, tortured and killed, often for imaginary crimes.
According to China News Service, the accused, Qiu, a pensioner in his 80s from Zhejiang province, strangled a doctor named Hong with a rope. He said he was instructed to kill Hong by a civilian militia group which had accused the doctor of spying. After the killing, Qiu supposedly hacked off the doctor's legs to make burial easier.
Such atrocities were common during the decade of revolution. It seems surprising and random that a man of no importance should be brought to account after 46 years.
In the wake of the trial, a heated debate broke out on weibo, China's microblogging platform. Some asked why bigger criminals haven't been punished; others felt it was a move in the right direction.
The news also inspired others to tell harrowing tales from the dark period. I was particularly struck by the story of a young actress who was arrested and tortured after she accidentally broke a bust of Chairman Mao. In the end, she committed suicide. She was only 19.