This is what some Chinese have said to me. I was exasperated at the Great Wall of Silence surrounding the identity of the murderers of Bian Zhongyun. Some months ago I was on the phone with Jung Chang. Our contact had been arranged through Dr. Youqin Wang who had told Ms. Chang what I was doing. There was nothing lost in translation here, Ms. Chang knew I wanted to know the names of those responsible for Bian's murder. So it was with anticipation that I called at the time agreed upon so as to be convenient to both of us given the vast time difference. The phone rang, she picked up. I identified myself, she greeted me cordially and warmly. I decided that no further ice breaking was necessary and simply asked him pen in hand, "So who were the people that you interviewed who were eyewitnesses to Bian's beating?" "Ben, I'm not going to tell you that nor am I going to put you in touch with them." She was not playing games with me, she was not being arrogant. She rebuffed me with great civility and self-evidently, i.e. as if the reason(s) were clear. They certainly weren't evident to me and my eagerness was subsumed by disappointment; disappointment gave way to bewilderment which led to exasperation then to a flash of anger and, luckily for the sake of the continuation of the conversation, to acceptance. And acceptance produced a philosophical conversation about why she wouldn't tell me.
I gave Ms. Chang the analogy to the Nazis. Just as blithely she dismissed it, "No, the Jews were outsiders." She paused and then quickly added "Even though they were Germans they were still outsiders." It was a distinction without a difference in my mind at the time.
What about the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission? She didn't dismiss that analogy. "That's true," she said but she said it hesitatingly.
*The original post from which I decided this was the only acceptable excerpt was written sometime in 2007. It remained unpublished in my drafts box until May 27, 2014 when I published it whole and precipitously. After publishing it I read and re-read it, tried to rewrite it, failed and so yeah. May 28, 2014, 4:30 pm UTC.
I gave Ms. Chang the analogy to the Nazis. Just as blithely she dismissed it, "No, the Jews were outsiders." She paused and then quickly added "Even though they were Germans they were still outsiders." It was a distinction without a difference in my mind at the time.
What about the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission? She didn't dismiss that analogy. "That's true," she said but she said it hesitatingly.
*The original post from which I decided this was the only acceptable excerpt was written sometime in 2007. It remained unpublished in my drafts box until May 27, 2014 when I published it whole and precipitously. After publishing it I read and re-read it, tried to rewrite it, failed and so yeah. May 28, 2014, 4:30 pm UTC.
