China Discusses the Great Leap Forward and Famine

[Jacob]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/worldview/is-china-finally-confronting-its-dark-history/article2445203/

..it was a shock to readers of Southern People Weekly magazine to see the front page of last Monday's edition: the words "The Great Famine" in a bold-lettered headline, over a graphic showing the plunge in China's population over those terrible four years.

It was followed by 18 pages of in-depth coverage, including black-and-white photographs of sobbing famine victims, and of farmers gathering leaves and tree bark for food.

"History [in China] is sometimes divided into two parts: history itself, and 'admitted history,'" read the editorial that accompanied the reports. "The famine, which is unparalleled in human history, has neither an official record nor a reasonable explanation."

If the famine is allowed to be forgotten, the magazine argued, "we will be despised by our offspring."

...

Twenty-three years ago, Bo Yibo, the father of fallen Party star Bo Xilai was among those who demanded a crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests. He also called for a purge against those within the Party who supported the students. Among those punished for speaking out against the crackdown was Xi Zhongxun, the father of China's president to be. Perhaps that's the history that's really coming to light.

[Zanza]

Good.

[DGuller]

Damn, China is no better than US when it comes to political dynasties. 

[Sheilbh]

Interesting.  Thanks for the post

[MadImmortalMan]

"The famine, which is unparalleled in human history, has neither an official record nor a reasonable explanation."

Oh, it has a reasonable explanation. But I guess the writer can't say that.

[The Brain]

Communism isn't reasonable.