I already know brainwashing is the CIA taking a scary sounding word that just means to think scientifically and making it a boogeyman (all the while the US Gov was imprisoning and dosing people with LSD for months on end to effectively brainwash them). I’m assuming what’s true for the gulag system was true for the Laogai, but some sources would be nice.
Laogai (劳改、劳动改造) is reform through labor for criminals. Laojiao (劳教、劳动教养) is reeducation through labor and is an administrative punishment separate from the judicial system, this was abolished in 2013.
China published a white paper titled “Criminal Reform in China” in 1992 that mentions reform-through-labour: http://lt.china-office.gov.cn/eng/zt/zfbps/200405/t20040530_2910767.htm
I think the specific term laogai isn’t used officially nowadays, but criminals are still expected to work. From the Criminal Law:
Article 46 An offender sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment or life imprisonment shall serve his sentence in prison or another execution premise; anyone who is able to work shall engage in work for the purpose of education and rehabilitation.
abolished in 2013
Good.
Here I am, a foolish westerner, who had no idea Lake Laogai got its name from real world reeducation camps.
I know Bryke are big libs with their creation. Still love their flawed franchise. Even Korra. Actually especially Korra. But I kinda want to go through the shows and books (not the comic books because they’re hopeless) with a fine toothed comb to see what other red scare references there are.
One of the big fearmongering attempts about China in the 90s, they tried to make “Laogai” into the new “Gulag” but it didn’t stick, so only the libbest of libs were still making reference to them.
