Prison Again — the CCP Version

Abstract

Upon reading the above accounts, a literary critic might scoff at the all-too-obvious meteorological reversal and the almost identical exhaustion-induced ailments suffered by the investigatory teams of 1966 accusers and 1978 exonerators. Despite the lack of literary subtlety the two documents provide piquant detail on the opening and closure of the Case of the Sixty-One Renegades.

[O]ur fighters braved wind and snow to make investigations … railroads were ice-bound.… They could only march long distances on foot over the snow. … One comrade had his feet … benumbed by frostbite. Some fighters checked and verified cases for three days and nights in succession without sleeping.… Ch’en Ts’ung …was so worn out that he suddenly shrieked in the middle of the night, ‘Aiya, I am finished!’ … his face had turned very pale and his pulse had stopped beating.

(Nankai University ‘August 18’ Red Guards describe their winter 1966–67 experiences in researching the Case of the Sixty-One Renegades)¹

On leaving the plane, it seemed they had jumped into a steamer. In the extremely hot summer … it was even difficult for them to gasp for breath.… Jia Suping and others were busily rushing about conducting their investigations.… They looked up files day and night. … Jia Suping was too tired, and he suffered a heart attack.

(The COD group’s summer 1978 experience in reinvestigating the Case of the Sixty-one Renegades)²