- Started by Zhou Enlai
- Launched by Mao in May 1956
- Encouraged criticisms of the party (particularly by writers and intellectuals)
- His reasons for doing so are debated by historians
- Criticisms were scarce until the spring of 1957 when academics started to speak out which sparked a torrent of public comment
- Hundreds of letters started flooding into the Government offices with complaints about everything from the lateness of public transport to Mao's personal conduct
- In 1957 the speech on "correctly handling contradictions" (originally given at the public launch in February 1957) was edited to suggest the not all criticisms could be tolerated and then republished
The Anti-Rightist Movement
- Launched in the summer of 1957
- Between 300,00 and 550,000 individuals were identified as Rightists
- Most were publicly discredited and lost their jobs however some were sent to about camps for "reeducation"
- Thousands also driven to suicide
- Frank Dikotter estimates number persecuted to be at least 550,000 and possibly more than 650,000
- The People's Daily declared 'poisonous weeds' had grown among 'fragrant flowers'
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