The Tragedy Of Liberation: A History Of The Chinese Revolution 1945-1957 - Plot & Excerpts
On the stage sat several judges. Facing the people stood two victims, their hands tied behind their backs, eyes fixed on the ground, two armed guards in thick padded jackets right behind them. Long banners, reaching from shoulders to waist, denounced them as criminals and traitors. Zhang Qingchun, head of the Hebei Austerity Inspection Committee, detailed the heinous crimes each of them had committed. A stony silence followed his long speech, as the judge finally stood up to pronounce the death sentence. Heads bowed in submission, the accused never lifted their faces to look at the crowd or their accusers. They were immediately marched off to the execution grounds of Baoding. As a sign of mercy, they were shot in the heart rather than in the head.1 Had it not been for the identity of the victims, the trial might have looked like any other public execution carried out in the name of the people. But this one was different. Liu Qingshan and Zhang Zishan were key players in the local party hierarchy.
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