News Roundup: August – mid-November 2005

Why the Past Matters

• On State Crime and Political Responsibility
  He Qinglian warns that the Chinese government's suppression of historical truth prevents China from moving forward.
   
• Remembering June 4th for China's Future
  Liu Xiaobo sees the struggle for historical memory as a crucial means of laying a foundation of dignity for the China of the future.
   
• The Cultural Revolution and the War against Fascism
  Yongyi Song sees a double standard in China's demands for war reparations from Japan when the Chinese government rejects accountability for its own crimes against the Chinese people.
   
• Emerging from Under the Shadow of Mao
  Chen Xiaoya discusses her biography of Mao Zedong and explores the possibility of the rise of a new tyrant.
   

Advancing Social Justice

• Comparative International and Domestic Approaches
  This HRIC Consultation and Roundtable discusses existing measures to address China¡¯s serious human rights abuses, and what international approaches could be applied to the China context.
   
• The Cultural Revolution as Legacy and Precedent
  This HRIC brief considers how effectively addressing the crimes of the Cultural Revolution could serve as a model for China's more recent social justice issues.
   
• Mao's "Killing Quotas"
  Li Changyu recalls the anti-rightist movement and its forgotten victims.
   
• Repentance for the Death of Li Jie
  Wang Youqin observes that crimes against humanity also leave scars on those who escape them, as well as those who research them.
   
• The Past is Not Another Country
  Stacy Mosher interviews Wang Youqin about her research on the Cultural Revolution and why history cannot be laid to rest.
   
• An Open Letter to My Police Readers
  Yu Jie decides that forgiveness is the most constructive approach to oppression.
   

China's Reforms and Economic Injustice

• China's Economic Miracle and the Threat of Future Shock
  Qin Hui examines why the troubled but democratic reforms of Eastern Europe may lead to more long-term stability than China's much vaunted boom.
   
• Taishi Village: A Sign of the Times
  Hu Ping analysis the social and economic injustices that could lead to a crisis if not resolved.
   
• Public Consensus Raises Threat of a New Mao
  Zhan Aizong calls for a free press to guard against the enforced unity of public opinion that breeds tyranny.
   

Regular Features

• The Story of the New Policeman
  Satirical Fiction
   
• Cultural Reviews

  The Corrections
  Roger Garside reviews Mao:The Unknown Story, by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday

  Choosing to Remember
  Carol Wang reviews Priscilla Hayner's Unspeakable Truths: Facing the Challenge of Truth Commissions.

  Have You Looked in Your Jeans Pocket Lately?
  Sharon Hom reviews China Blue, a documentary on Chinese migrant workers.

  Mimesis 2046
  Mike Wang reviews Wong Kar Wai's latest film, 2046.

• Resource List:
  Internet Web sites and other resources related to social justice
   
• In Custody:
  People detained for state security crimes
   
• Prisoner Profile
  Zhang Lin
   
• Action
  What you can do about the issues discussed
   
• HRIC Bulletin
  HRIC's activities in August ¨C October 2005
   
• Incorporating Responsibility 2008 Campaign
  A summary of progress to date