Fourth of the Gang of Four dies

The last of China's discredited leaders has left this earth, more than two weeks ago it turns out, allowing the leadership in Beijing to breathe a little easier about the party's past.



The Gang of Four hold an interesting place in China's political history. They ruled China for the ten years of the Cultural Revolution, with Mao's full backing. One of them was Mao's own wife.

But when Mao died the party backlash began, those who could see the insanity of the new revolution, which was little more than a dying grasp at power by Mao, quickly turned on the "Gang of Four" and turned them into the scapegoats for the whole thing, allowing them to keep Chairman Mao in his revered position.

One of the Gang of Four's more egregious policies was to give the Khmer Rouge its full support. Prince Sihanouk was a good friend of Chou Enlai and this was the original conduit of Chinese aid to Cambodia, but Chou Enlai's death in 1976 and earlier illness had deprived Sihanouk of his support and given Chinese support wholly to Pol Pot instead.

It seems the Chinese can't help themselves when it comes to controlling information. I can't see a reason for waiting so long to release this.

[edit on 6-1-2006 by HowlrunnerIV]

[edit on 9-1-2006 by asala]