HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

Laogai: The Tragic History of China's Secret Labor Camps

Views:834
@ReasonVids

"In China, they want you to become a new socialist person, and that's the purpose of the labor camps," says Harry Wu, a survivor of the prison system known as "Laogai," which means "reform through labor."

"The major job in the prison camp is to survive, to find food, that's it," says Wu.

When the Communist Party of China came to power in 1956, Mao invited Soviet state experts into the country to develop a Gulag-style prison network to suppress "counter-revolutionaries" and torture political opposition.

At the age of 23, Wu was imprisoned in the Laogai system simply because his father was a banker. While the official numbers are a state secret, at the height of Mao's reign, Wu estimates there were "1,000 labor camps and probably more than 40 million people in the prison camps."

After Mao died in 1979, the Laogai system was gradually dismantled and most political prisoners, including Wu, were released.

By 2013, the Chinese government officially turned away from using labor camps as a tactic of "re-education." But last year, a report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission expressed "legitimate doubts" that China has entirely stopped the practice of sending prisoners to labor camps.

After he immigrated to America, Wu opened the Laogai Museum to honor the victims and to spread awareness of the ongoing human rights abuse by the Communist Party of China. Wu is also the founder of the Laogai Research Foundation.

The Laogai Museum is located in Washington D.C., but Wu hopes someday to relocate it to China.

"One thing is very, very simple: No one in China believes communism is their future," he says. When it will be entirely gone, however, "we do not know."

Produced by Joshua Swain and Robert Mariani.

Approximately 4 minutes.

Go to Reason.tv for downloadable versions. Subscribe to Reason TV's YouTube Channel to get automatic updates when new stories go live.

labor camp (film subject)
,
history of china (literature subject)
,
china (country)
,
documentary
,
reason (magazine)
,
harry wu
,
laogai (literature subject)
,
communism
,
mao zedong (military commander)
,
maoism (political ideology)
,
revolution
,
hong kong
,
protests
,
gulag
,
laogai research foundation
    Thumbnail for Trump Appeals to "Racist" Voters: Former Republican New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson0:53
    Trump Appeals to "Racist" Voters: Former Republican New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson
    ReasonVids
    1073 views
    Thumbnail for Fox News' Juan Williams on School Choice4:58
    Fox News' Juan Williams on School Choice
    ReasonVids
    854 views
    Thumbnail for [Music Bank 2024.08.30] LE SSERAFIM, OH MY GIRL, ZEROBASEONE and more :: Let’s enjoy all together❗️ | KBS WORLD TV1:00
    [Music Bank 2024.08.30] LE SSERAFIM, OH MY GIRL, ZEROBASEONE and more :: Let’s enjoy all together❗️ | KBS WORLD TV
    invidious
    185 views
    Thumbnail for Seinfhqwhgads (Everybody to the Limit) | RingAL0:51
    Seinfhqwhgads (Everybody to the Limit) | RingAL
    invidious
    400 views
    Thumbnail for Here is the Full 15-minute SNL Chapelle Monologue15:21
    Here is the Full 15-minute SNL Chapelle Monologue
    bestofvoatxyz
    761 views
    Thumbnail for Health inspector caught on camera dancing after shutting down brewery | Fox News4:45
    Health inspector caught on camera dancing after shutting down brewery | Fox News
    invidious
    293 views
    Thumbnail for The Ballad of Senior Airman Dick Fitzwell | Grunt Speak Shorts10:10
    The Ballad of Senior Airman Dick Fitzwell | Grunt Speak Shorts
    Terrence Popp
    1139 views
    Thumbnail for City Forces Homeowners to Destroy Veggie Garden0:52
    City Forces Homeowners to Destroy Veggie Garden
    IJvids
    985 views
    Thumbnail for Now that men have largely rejected them, wall-adjacent roastie single moms have taken to gold digging/nickel and diming EACH OTHER! LMAO! 1:01
    Now that men have largely rejected them, wall-adjacent roastie single moms have taken to gold digging/nickel and diming EACH OTHER! LMAO!
    bestofupgoat
    204 views
    Thumbnail for why should all of society bow to the whim of the smallest minority of the mentally ill?0:54
    why should all of society bow to the whim of the smallest minority of the mentally ill?
    bestofvoatxyz
    656 views
    Thumbnail for The Gardian Angel0:14
    The Gardian Angel
    BelleAriel
    4026 views
    Thumbnail for The communists have been at this for a long time.1:34
    The communists have been at this for a long time.
    bestofsaidit
    709 views
    Thumbnail for Jews Celebrating Tens of Thousands of Dead Whites to Commemorate Purim ("Victory Over Enemies" Holiday) 0:27
    Jews Celebrating Tens of Thousands of Dead Whites to Commemorate Purim ("Victory Over Enemies" Holiday)
    bestofvoatxyz
    632 views
    Thumbnail for Vaccination of Fish in Norway0:17
    Vaccination of Fish in Norway
    bestofupgoat
    199 views
    Thumbnail for What is your favorite thing about being jewish?0:45
    What is your favorite thing about being jewish?
    bestofupgoat
    10 views
    Thumbnail for Glenn Greenwald: Nothing Trump Did Compares to the 'Moral Evil' of Bush's and Obama's Wars1:15:44
    Glenn Greenwald: Nothing Trump Did Compares to the 'Moral Evil' of Bush's and Obama's Wars
    ReasonVids
    925 views
    Thumbnail for How a Local Blog Broke the Kelly Thomas Story: A conversation with Friends for Fullerton's Future8:06
    How a Local Blog Broke the Kelly Thomas Story: A conversation with Friends for Fullerton's Future
    ReasonVids
    1029 views
    Thumbnail for Hong Kong Is in Trouble. Let Its People Escape China by Coming to America.7:03
    Hong Kong Is in Trouble. Let Its People Escape China by Coming to America.
    ReasonVids
    1009 views
    Thumbnail for Man's Best Friend1:07
    Man's Best Friend
    bestofupgoat
    377 views
    Thumbnail for 6 Gorillion0:07
    6 Gorillion
    bestofupgoat
    283 views
    Thumbnail for How Edward Snowden Revealed the 'Dark Mirror' of the Surveillance State55:14
    How Edward Snowden Revealed the 'Dark Mirror' of the Surveillance State
    ReasonVids
    965 views
    Thumbnail for Who’s the Threat to American Democracy?10:20
    Who’s the Threat to American Democracy?
    AmericanRenaissance
    1597 views
    Thumbnail for Innocent Citizens Sue FBI Over Illegal Safety Deposit Raid4:03
    Innocent Citizens Sue FBI Over Illegal Safety Deposit Raid
    IJvids
    1023 views
    Thumbnail for Reason Video Awards 20133:31
    Reason Video Awards 2013
    ReasonVids
    965 views
    Thumbnail for New World This Week: Corona Virus and Iran Sanctions25:06
    New World This Week: Corona Virus and Iran Sanctions
    corbettreport_uo
    2111 views

points

Permalink
Reply
labor camp (film subject)
,
history of china (literature subject)
,
china (country)
,
documentary
,
reason (magazine)
,
harry wu
,
laogai (literature subject)
,
communism
,
mao zedong (military commander)
,
maoism (political ideology)
,
revolution
,
hong kong
,
protests
,
gulag
,
laogai research foundation
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle