Defiling the Image

Four Chinese peasants in Kweiyang Commune 18 miles north of Hong Kong were condemned to a total of 50 years of "labor reform" last week for showing disrespect for Chairman Mao Tsetung. In fact, a three-year-old boy, some roosting hens and a clutch of cockroaches were responsible for three of the crimes. No matter, the men were convicted, and their sentences were announced by the commune chairman, a senior army officer. One 30-year-old farmer drew ten years of "labor reform," which means hard labor, for permitting his three-year-old son to tear up a picture of the Chairman; another farmer got 15 years for "allowing his wife to humiliate Chairman Mao by putting his picture under a hen roost"; a third man, who used rice paste instead of glue to mount the mandatory portrait of Mao, got 15 years because cockroaches, attracted by the rice, chewed up the Chairman's picture. The fourth peasant got ten years for making light of one of Mao's favorite slogans: "Fear no sacrifice, overcome all difficulties to achieve victory." The peasant's version: "Fear no drowning, overcome all difficulties to swim to Hong Kong."

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