Cleansing the Class Ranks

Cleansing the Class Ranks (Chinese: 清理阶级队伍), or Cleansing of Class Ranks Campaigns, was a massive political movement during the Chinese Cultural Revolution.[1][2][3][4][5] Starting from May 25, 1968, around 30 million people were persecuted, with an estimated death toll of 0.5-1.5 million.[3][6]:459[7] The primary purpose of the Cleansing movement was to clear "traitors, spies, capitalist roaders, counter-revolutionaries and members of the Five Black Categories".[1][3][8][9][10] After the Cultural Revolution, the Communist Party of China (CPC) as well as the Chinese government admitted that many of the cases in the Cleansing movement were "unjust, false, mistaken" cases.[3][11]

On May 13, 1968, Yao Wenyuan submitted a document ("北京新华印刷厂军管会发动群众开展对敌斗争的经验") to Mao Zedong, in which Yao wrote "this document summarizes some of the policies in cleansing the class ranks".[8][9] On May 19, Mao commented on the document, "Wenyuan: I suggest nationwide circulation and publication of this document; it is the best-written piece among all relevant files I have seen."[8][9] As a result, the movement of Cleansing the Class Ranks began in China on May 25, 1968.[8][9] Lynching such as the use of systematic torture, trial by suspicion, conviction by forced confessions, massacre/pogroms and other forms of mass killings all took place during the Cleansing.[3]

See also

References
  1. Walder, Andrew G. (2014). "Rebellion and Repression in China, 1966–1971" (PDF). Social Science History. 38 (3–4): 513–539. doi:10.1017/ssh.2015.23. S2CID 143087356 – via Project MUSE.
  2. Unger, Jonathan (January 2007). "The Cultural Revolution at the Grass Roots". The China Journal. 57 (57): 109–137. doi:10.1086/tcj.57.20066243. hdl:1885/21040. JSTOR 20066243.
  3. "Chronology of Mass Killings during the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) | Sciences Po Mass Violence and Resistance - Research Network". chronology-mass-killings-during-chinese-cultural-revolution-1966-1976.html. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
  4. Hays, Jeffrey. "HORRORS OF THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION: CANNIBALISM, MASSACRES AND CLEANSING OF THE RANKS | Facts and Details". factsanddetails.com. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
  5. "China's Great Terror". ChinaFile. 2006-09-21. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
  6. 杨继绳 (2017-07-04). 天地翻覆: 中国文化大革命历史. 天地图书. GGKEY:L6GTAS7DJ5F.
  7. Ding, Shu. "文革中的"清理阶级队伍"运动——三千万人被斗，五十万人死亡" (in Chinese). 华夏文摘. Archived from the original on 2017-08-16. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  8. "1968年5月25日 全国开展"清理阶级队伍"运动" (in Chinese). People's Daily. Archived from the original on 2005-04-04. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  9. "（43）"大串联"中的人和事、（44）复课闹革命、（45）清理阶级队伍" (in Chinese). The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  10. "清理阶级队伍". 凤凰网. Archived from the original on 2020-01-13. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  11. "1968年5月25日 全國開展"清理階級隊伍"運動". 中國共產黨新聞網. Archived from the original on 2018-03-16. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
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