LEARNING FROM MA JIAJUE

On February 23, 2004, the bodies of four students were found hidden in cupboards in a dor- mitory at University. Tang Xueli, Shao Ruijie, Yang Kaihong and Gong Bo had all been killed by blows to the head. A massive manhunt quickly led to the arrest of Ma Jiajue, a fellow student, who admitted to murdering his four friends between February 13 and 15. After being sentenced to death in April, Ma was executed on June 17, at the age of 24. The crime caused widespread debate throughout China: what would lead a promising biochemistry student to such a brutal act? Below, two commentators offer their different perspectives

BY ZHENG YICHUN BY WANG SHAOYAN

The venom of Communist teachings has seeped into the This young man was killed by the pervasive gap between innermost soul of the Chinese people and obliterated rich and poor, the indifference of society and his inability their most fundamental moral standards. to bear disgrace.

Ma confessed to murdering his four fellow students, and said One night last February,four students from poor rural family that his motive was that they had falsely accused him of cheat- backgrounds were brutally murdered in their dorm rooms ing in a card game. Ma meticulously planned his revenge, shortly before they were to graduate from . going to a store to buy the hammer he used in the murders. This murder case shocked the central authorities.According to But Ma’s case leaves many questions unanswered. One of reports, Hu Jintao personally ordered the deployment of 1.7 the puzzling aspects is that many people on the Internet claim million people to chase down the culprit.The murderer was that Ma is innocent and, inexplicably,sympathize with him quickly apprehended in , Hainan Island, and was in rather than with his victims. Moreover, the mainland Chinese police custody by the beginning of April. media have apparently turned a brutal murder into a major The culprit turned out to be Ma Jiajue, a fellow student source of entertainment. Rather than interpreting this crime as who also came from a poor rural background.The media an evil prank by a young man unable to tell right from wrong, started out describing Ma as a burly,ferocious young man with we would do better to see it as clear evidence of deep-rooted murder in his eyes. But then some others began to say that Ma bad habits arising from cruel and brutish social mores. More Jiajue should not be demonized, that the real Ma Jiajue needed recently,there have been reports of a similar murder case in to be revealed. Jiangyin County in Jiangsu Province, where police say a man What kind person was the real Ma Jiajue? Why did he kill murdered two classmates with a knife and other weapons four fellow students with whom he was well acquainted? Ma while walking between a kindergarten and a junior middle Jiajue was a murderer, but who killed Ma Jiajue? school.1 I believe that a sociological, psychological and crimi- Ma Jiajue came from a poor family in rural nological analysis of Ma Jiajue’s case must be undertaken in Province.At the age of five, he was already helping his parents order to avoid such horrific tragedies from recurring. Follow- with farm work. Later his family ironed clothes to make ends ing are some of the revelations arising from the Ma Jiajue case: meet. Once when Ma’s mother lost 100 yuan, the amount she earned for ironing 200 items of clothing, Ma dropped 100 1. The violent revolutionary theories of the Chinese yuan in the corridor where she could find it. His family had to Communist Party (CCP) poison the minds of Chinese people borrow his entire 5,000-yuan tuition from the school. such as Ma Jiajue. Unlike most students, Ma never asked his parents for The reason the CCP has been called a murderous party or money.On cold winter days, his dorm mates used to pay him murderous organization is that it has a murderous ideology, one or two yuan to wash their clothes. Ma performed this serv- and theJune4th Massacre have thecollective con- changed all laws theCulturalRevolution, humananddivineduring theviolation of wanton slaughterof “counterrevolutionaries,” smashingandlooting.The to make revolution by beating, producing anew generation ofRedGuardsoryoung militants isonly which capable of Communist education, of corrupt of thosewhoshow istheresult norespect for humanlife.This mores isthedenigration ofhumanlife andthehero worship poisoned China’s socialmores. oftheproletariatandviolentrevolution havedictatorship 2. Marxism-Leninismanditsforeigndoctrineofthe murderous revolutionary ideology. theembodimentofCCP’s infact, MaJiajueis, direction. CCP’s ideologyand thecountlessoutrages committedunderits Yet Ma’s murders are tiedinahundred andoneways withthe million unnatural regime. by deaths perpetrated thisruthless nobody like MaJiajuepaleintoinsignificancenexttothe80 murders committedby forthree thegovernment.The a cheers the serfsofsocialistsystemcandoiskowtow andgive allthat the Party’s Underthesecircumstances, grasponpower. the grounds that itstabilized thesocialistsystemandpreserved theJune4thcrackdown hasjustified on sion tothepremier, Commis- oftheMilitary the generalsecretarytochairman from Every memberofthecentralgovernment, of itsstrategy. greatness andrightness CCP display theunparalleledwisdom, silencecouldthe people tomouselike timidityandterrified Only by reducing theChinese petitioning thegovernment. citizenswhowereof Beijingstudentsandordinary peacefully 1989ordered themassacre theCCPonJune4, killing people, people like flies. amply demonstrated theParty’s consummate skillat killing the Kuomintang andthepeacetimeMaoistcampaigns have all andthecivilwar with deliberations oftheCCPanditsleaders, The lives peoplesimply ofordinary donotenterintothe aswell asitsmeanstoseizepower.the timeitwas founded, human life was infact theCCP’s at guidingstrategic principle blatant disregard for human life amongitspoliticaltasks.A should beinvain.” be “killed inaway that looked like suicidesotheirdeaths andordered that Falungong members framed onfalse charges, Zemin hadpeacefulFalungong practitionerspersecuted and andJiang advocated “killing 200,000for 20years ofstability”; DengXiaoping ble to “kill five outofevery thousand”; theParty that itwas MaoZedonginstructed permissi- paigns, thecounterrevolutionary During cam- maintain stability: has from theoutsetgonetoalllengthsretain power and and treating humanliferights asstraw.The Communist regime but actually excelsat violating human aim toservethepeople, ist systemestablished by theCCPnotonly fails initsavowed social- andthedictatorship oftheproletariat.The class struggle revolution,namely oftheproletarian theviolentdoctrines ZHENG YICHUN, One ofthemanifestations ofthispoisoningsocial Because revolutionary strength canonly bedisplayed by The CCPhasnever countedtherespect andsafeguarding of continued o o’ lytegm,i’ l oyu os noonewillcut it’syou don’t alltoyour loss; play thegame, If This isactually putting toofine aglossonthesituation. “rentseeking.”particularly Chineseeconomic phenomenon: Economistshave a todescribe coinedaterm commodities. have money transformed andpower into interchangeable and mulating wealth withouttheslightestregard for justice, problem isthat over thepast20years peoplehave been accu- ofthe thereal crux the weak andprovides nowelfare system, hasnosympathy for society looksdown onthelower classes, Leaving asidethefact that theendsjustifyanywhich means. society hasplungedintoaheadlongpursuitofwealth in allofChinese thesame time, most severe intheworld.At andisactually the has now dangerous proportions, reached China’s incomedisparity toaUNreport, China.According sequently thegap andpoorbegantowidenin between rich Sub- some peoplemust beallowed toprosper before others. young man. societyasawholekilledthis Modern inability tobeardisgrace. theubiquitousindifference ofsocietyandhis andpoor, rich thisyoung manwasously, killedby thepervasive gap between disorder?Obvi-why didMadevelop psychiatric aserious such but thequestionremains, his aclassiccaseofmentaldisorder, would Psychiatrists call andlostallhopeinsociety. by anyone, Mawas apparently never really loved socialexistence, his short hewas unableClearly, tobearthehumiliations In ofpoverty. tocommitsuicidebydie? MaJiajuechose killingothers. How shouldsocietydealwithsomeone whowants to to die. impoverished backgrounds. camefrom like him, to murder four fellow studentswho, cards would nothave thebreakdown triggered that causedhim at asbeingaccusedofcheating agame matter such trifling a the university hadcared about thefact that hehadnoshoes, orif ifsomeonehadgiven him a pairofshoes, with real help, ties hadknown about hispredicament andhadprovided him ifthe authori- shown for MaJiajuewhenitcounted, concern Ifsocietyhad suggested that hewas killedby hisenvironment. larger number ofjournalists murder andeffective suicide.A poverty anditsassociated humiliations hadledMatocommit conjectured that Somejournalists debate onthesequestions. people andthencalmly make hisescape? Newspapers sparked How apersoncarefully doessuch planthemurder offour Hisreason was that hejustwanted todie. basis. by four lawyers whooffered torepresent himonapro bono anddeclinedto bedefended to give himselfuptothepolice, Marefused third placeinanational mathematics competition. healsoachieved outstandingall-around student, Olympics.An Hehimselftoldthepoliceasmuch. uniform. his prison wore thebestitemofclothinghehadever owned: Ma Inprison, classes for several days becausehehadnoshoes. hehadtogobarefoot andcut student financialaidpayment, OncewhileMawas awaitingice becausehehadnomoney. his WANG SHAOYAN, hnterfr eidbgn DengXiaopingsaidthat began, When thereform period Ma Jiajue’s refusal oflegaldefense indicates that hewanted How doesastudentlike MaJiajuebecomeamurderer? Ma Jiajueoncewon intheNational Physics secondprize continued

FATE AND CHOICE 31 CHINA RIGHTS FORUM NO. 4, 2004

ZHENG YICHUN,continued WANG SHAOYAN,continued sciousness of the Chinese people and fundamentally trans- you any slack, and certainly no one will sympathize with formed individuals at a subconscious level.The venom of you. Communist teachings has seeped into the innermost soul of Ma Jiajue’s case has sparked a heated debate in China and the Chinese people and obliterated their most fundamental has raised some interesting points.A writer with a long per- moral standards. spective on Chinese society sees it this way: The great meat grinder that is the Communist regime dis- “Many people are focusing on what made a student com- counts not only the lives of ordinary people, but even those of mit this savage act.To my mind, they are only scratching the its own Party officials, many of whom have been killed.With surface rather than getting to the root of the problem.The the exception of the supreme leader, who is venerated like an truth is that when someone suffers from a mental disorder, he emperor, the life of everyone else is insignificant in compari- cannot control himself and is incapable of clear-headedness. son with the preservation of the regime’s stability.The Siniciza- When such a person commits murder, it usually doesn’t attract tion of Marxism-Leninism into Mao Zedong Thought has an inordinate amount of attention or discussion, regardless of turned mainland China into a country where savagery and brutality are the norm. It must be understood that nothing in the world is more valuable than life.The divine gift of life is an exceedingly com- plex process.We know from medical science that millions of spermatozoa are sacrificed for the fertilization of a single ovum.The nine months of pregnancy are a great trial for expectant mothers, who give birth amidst great pain.As people mature, they continue to experience all manner of troubles and worries. How much material and energy is expended in one lifetime! You could say that a single human life embodies the whole history of human civilization, its hope and tears, laugh- ter and heartache, happiness and suffering. Because life is priceless, we Chinese must learn to revere and protect it, heart and soul, rather than to belittle, negate and even destroy human life as the CCP has done for so long. Only by establishing social customs and a system that upholds, improves and promotes life for all can we fundamentally trans- form a society characterized by Ma Jiajue’s violent outrage.

3. China’s education system has been seriously affected by Communist and socialist ideology, which encourages the belittlement and destruction of life. At the same time, China’s socialist education system has also produced a vast range of pseudo-Mao Zedongs whose murderous inclinations have destined them to carry on the cause of the proletarian revolution. From primary school to middle school to university, China’s Communist education system centers on the values of violent revolution rather than on those of humanism, produc- ing generation after generation of Communist slaves with no potential, no capacity to think for themselves and no inde- pendent understanding of the world. Ma Jiajue’s case is a testa- ment to the utter failure of China’s Communist education system, in particular its higher education system. The ideological and political indoctrination taught at col- leges and universities is restricted to the stale Communist dogma of Marx, Lenin, Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin, the pronouncements of Central Committee officials, directives issued by the Ministry of Propaganda and falsehoods disseminated by the Party-controlled media.These worthless lies pollute the spirits of impressionable university students School photo of Ma Jiajue (top) and photo released by police after Ma’s such as Ma Jiajue. In addition, every college and university in arrest (bottom).

23/n518427.htm. http://www.dajiyuan.com/gb/4/4/ Website: Times Epoch This translation isaneditedversion postedonthe of anarticle Translated by Paul Frank can we hopetoachieve socialharmony andstability. Only by sodoing economicandculturaldisorders. political, correctly diagnose andapply effective treatments toChina’s we must Likewise, mentaldisorders. help peoplewithserious andemploy appropriate therapies to tively tosocialdiscontent, crime. canendupcommittinganunpardonableloses hisbearings Even personwho anormal help heneeded. the psychiatric andhenever receivedMa Jiajue’s mindwas clearly disturbed, soul withamurderous obsession. him like abubble untilitfinally burst andcontaminated his hebore grew thesmallgrudge inside nobody in, toconfide ButbecauseMaJiajuehad extreme ofcommittingmurder. hemay nothave gonetothe asapsychiatrist, such fessional, had beenable todiscusshisproblems andanxietieswithapro- IfMaJiajue canbenippedinthebud. so that potentialcrises afforded effective toexpress theirpainandanxieties channels People from suffering depression oughttobe and hospitals. through theestablishment clinics ofspecializedpsychiatric cide istheultimate expression ofdespair. sui- For thepsychologicallyfragile, themselves from injustice. peopleare preparedand thelengthstowhich togofree clear indication ofhow abnormal life isinthissocialistsociety, committing suicidefor reasons various every year.This isa withmore than300,000people suicide rate intheworld, .Ce hgn,ae 5 was reportedtohave murdered hisfellow stu- aged 25, ChenZhigang, 1. EDITOR’S NOTE: are increasinglylikelydisorders tocommitdesperateacts. has enteredadangerousstageinwhichpeoplewithmental 4. TheMaJiajuecasedemonstratesthatChinesesociety psychologists. replaced withtheintroduction ofschool be eliminated from China’s highereducation systemand youthful energy.This systemofpoliticalcounselorsoughtto and preventriculum studentsfrom expressing theirnatural statement andactivityinthestudentcur- control every idea, whoexamineand China hasasystemof “political counselors” ZHENG YICHUN, We respond effec- must prevent trouble before ithappens, But Murder cannever bejustifiedunderany circumstances. Suicide prevention measures needtobestrengthened mainlandChinanow hasthehighest According toreports, 4/4/13/n508362.htm. accessed ontheEpoch Times http://www.dajiyuan.com/gb/Web site: canbe onthecrime detailedarticle was aware oftheMaJiajuecase.A andsaidhe but ChenZhigangclaimedotherslooked down onhim, motive for themurdersthe hospitalfor was treatment.The notclear, but was discovered andtaken to attempted suicideby slittinghiswrists, Hethen 2004. onthenightof Zhao 9, April Yi andJuLi, dents, continued index.html www.rfa.org/cantonese/zhuanti/2004/04/19/133735/ originally appeared onthe Web http:// siteofRadioFree Asia: This translation isaslightly editedversion that ofanarticle Translated by Paul Frank indifferent society. and drove himtokill four innocentstudentswas anunjustand what killedMaJiajue Inreality, make somethingoftheirlives. world hasmany more examplesofpoverty people to inspiring butPoverty the candriveayoung mantocommitmurder, hesaidthat maybe itwas becausehewas poor.down onhim, asked why otherpeoplewoulddown look onhim.When Hesaidhefelt that everybody looked had killedthosestudents. adeadend? such who won intheNational Physics thesecondprize Olympics to his twenties capable cruelty? ofsuch What drivesastudent pletely give upthewilltolive? Why isauniversity studentin asMaJiajue’sand murders asbrutal are stillcommitted? theresults are sooftendisappointing, on education inethics, is itthat althoughChinesesocietyplacesareasonable emphasis hetotally lostcontrol.” attempts failed, andwhenthese again andagain tofindsomethingrely on, Matried Unable tocontrol thisshock, expectations. original dealtagreatThe resulting feeling blow ofinferiority tohis manyand inwhich studentswere every bitasgoodhewas. he found avery different environment thanhewas usedto, where andculturalbaggage thispsychological ried tocollege, MaJiajuecar- will attain thestatus you deservein thissociety. you are able tostandoutamongyour area, peersinacertain Ifyou andare deeply ingrainedby thetimethey grow up. age, theseattitudes arefrom anearly instilledinchildren ground; especially back- amongthosefrom apoorrural achievement, one’sexpectation ofbettering station inlife through academic all themore extreme. attitudes become such withnodemocracy, Inacountry lege. standing outandlookingheroic andenjoying politicalprivi- Nowadays peopleworship money andputalotofemphasison aswell disparity. asahugeurban-rural andthepoor, the rich Chinahasawidegap between pared withadvanced nations, Com- cluded that thiscaseisrelated toChina’s development. andany actcanbeexplained. can happen, anythingpersonality iscombinedwithadysfunctional society, adysfunctional oftheproblem.When I thinkthisisthecrux derangement went handinwithhismoralderangement. Hissevere psychiatric that MaJiajuewas mentally disturbed. there’s every reason tobelieve amatter offact, the problem.As many peopleregard himasadifferent kindofcase.That’s dent, ButbecauseMawas auniversity stu- ofthecrime. the brutality WANG SHAOYAN, fe ewsarse,thepoliceasked MaJiajuewhy he After hewas arrested, We why doessomebody really com- have toaskourselves: why phenomenon: hasidentifiedavery serious This writer “Added tothat you have thetraditionalChinesecultural “But why was Masodisturbed?Many peoplehave con- continued

FATE AND CHOICE 33 CHINA RIGHTS FORUM NO. 4, 2004