Hua’er (flower)

As you may be aware, BBC radio is focussing on China this week. The World Service had this Thursday It is heartbreaking, even at 05:45 in the morning (CET).

During the Cultural Revolution, her father was imprisoned as an imperialist secret agent (because he was Japanese). Her mother had to attend 'special classes'. The girl was taken to a darkened room by Red Guards, to be examined for counter-revolutionary influences. In reality, she was raped. She was 11 years old. As soon as her mother saw her in the light, she knew what had happened. She killed herself. When her father was released, he did not recognize his children: he had lost his mind after being told of his wife's suicide.

When the girl married, she had problems: she could not stand being touched in the dark. She was unable to tell her husband the truth. She invented terrible lies - that he did not satisfy her sexually.