Silencing China's Peasantry

Wu Chuntao and Chen Guidi are authors of a bestselling book about corruption in rural China. "An Investigation of China's Peasantry" documents the real stories of peasants in rural China who fought against corrupt local politicians and lost their lives in the process. The New York Times today described one such story of a farmer, "... named Ding Zuoming, and his decade-long campaign to enforce central government directives limiting taxes and fees. Although the Beijing authorities reviewed and approved his complaints, the local police found an excuse to arrest him, the book says. They beat him to death in custody."

The book is unusual in China because it provides the names of the corrupt politicians and of witnesses to their corruption. The Times reported that the book's government-owned publisher was ordered to cease publication by propaganda authorities at about the time its popular appeal became apparent. The Times also wrote that senior leaders in the Chinese Communist Party seem to be backing a libel suit filed against the authors. Chinese justice being an oxymoron, party support for a lawsuit usually means that the defendants are certain to lose.

The Times quoted Chen Xiwen, a government policy maker and, "... the man considered China's foremost rural policy expert," as saying, "My impression is that the book shows how illegal fees and tax policies can lead to some terrible incidents, like injuries and even death... The main incidents to my knowledge are basically factual, and the central government has already done some reports on these matters." Xiwen told the Times that, "... he had bought two copies [of the book], one for the office and the other to keep at home." He added that, "If it were really as bad as they say, then every peasant would be protesting constantly."

The last comment defies comprehension. After reading a book about individual peasants who were killed for fighting corruption, the foremost rural policy expert in the CCP commented that if it were really so bad there would be mass protests. Of course, the last time China experienced mass protest was in 1989, and despite violent efforts to erase the memory from history, the world and the Chinese people remember that on June 4, the CCP massacred thousands in Tiananmen Square. Xiwen is obtuse or a coward. In either case his chilling message is that to protest individually is deadly and to mass protest is deadly- but to not protest at all is a sign that things are basically well.