5.18

China’s leaders love to celebrate Communist anniversaries, but they will today ignore one of the most important of all: 50 years since the secret politburo circular known as the “May 16th Notification”. Millions died as a result; many of today’s leaders were victims; and party and government were incapacitated during the decade of mayhem and hysteria that Mao Zedong unleashed upon China. The Cultural Revolution was a watershed in Chinese history. Its failure made possible the subsequent reform and opening up. All Chinese people live under its shadow. But because Mao was the founder of modern China, his crimes cannot be investigated without risking debate about the legitimacy of the Communist Party. A few leftists still celebrate Maoism. A few memoirs by victims are published. But historians and officials preserve a code of silence. The Cultural Revolution cannot be commemorated, nor discussed, nor forgotten.