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Message: [QUOTE="Some Technology, post: 21644"] Re-education occurs when a government or other group tries to forcibly change people's thoughts, beliefs, or behaviors through psychological pressure, threats, imprisonment, torture, or "brainwashing." The goal is to get people to reject their old ideas and accept new ones the group wants them to believe. [HEADING=2]How Re-education Works[/HEADING] Re-education camps are prisons where this forced thought reform happens. People with beliefs the government doesn't like may be put in these camps. Common targets are political opponents, religious groups, ethnic minorities, or people with "antisocial" behavior. Inside the camps, instructors or guards control everything about how prisoners live. This lets them break down the prisoners' sense of identity. Techniques can include: [LIST] [*]Isolating prisoners from friends and family [*]Constantly watching and controlling prisoners [*]Forcing prisoners to do hard labor [*]Limiting food and sleep to weaken prisoners [*]"Struggle sessions" where prisoners must confess to crimes [*]Studying propaganda for many hours each day [*]Pressuring prisoners to report on and criticize each other [/LIST] Through this intense physical and mental pressure, prisoners may start to doubt what they believe. The captors then teach them the "right" thoughts and behavior. Prisoners who refuse to change may be punished, tortured, or even killed. [HEADING=2]History of Re-education[/HEADING] The idea of re-education has been around for a long time. However, it became more widespread in the 20th century under Communism. Starting in the 1930s, the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin set up a big system of labor camps called the Gulag. Many prisoners in the Gulag went through re-education. In the 1950s, China under Mao Zedong used re-education camps on a huge scale. During the Cultural Revolution from 1966-1976, millions were forced into re-education. This included intellectuals, people seen as "class enemies," and anyone questioning Mao's regime. The Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia also used re-education camps in the 1970s. They tried to create a classless agrarian society by abolishing modern life and re-educating the entire population. [HEADING=2]Controversies Around Re-education[/HEADING] Human rights groups say re-education camps are a form of torture. The techniques used to brainwash prisoners can cause severe and long-lasting psychological damage. Prisoners are forced to act against their beliefs and may start to mistrust their minds. Re-education raises major issues around freedom of thought and expression and core human rights in international law. Even if re-education is used on violent criminals or religious extremists, many see it as an abuse of state power. They argue that people can believe what they want, even if it is considered wrong or dangerous. Some countries try to frame re-education as a positive alternative to regular prisons. For instance, China describes its re-education camps in Xinjiang as "vocational training centers" that provide job skills to Uighur Muslims and combat extremism. But former detainees and leaked documents tell a different story of mass imprisonment, surveillance, and forced labor targeting Uighurs. Despite criticism, re-education is still practiced in some countries today. There have been recent reports of re-education-style camps in Myanmar targeting the Rohingya people. Some argue that terrorist "deradicalization" programs in Europe and the Middle East also share elements of forced thought reform. [HEADING=2]Lasting Impacts[/HEADING] Survivors of re-education camps often struggle for years after they are released. Many deal with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and difficulty trusting others. Some feel lasting shame or guilt around the confessions they were forced to make. Family relationships can become strained, especially if the authorities inform relatives of each other. At a societal level, re-education is a tool of repression and control. The goal is to eliminate any opposition to the dominant political power. In the Cultural Revolution of China, for instance, re-education was part of a larger campaign that left millions dead and the country in disarray. The legacy of re-education can sow mistrust throughout society and make it hard to form new political or civic groups. The history of re-education shows the dangers of powerful institutions trying to change how people think forcibly. It attacks the fundamental right to freedom of conscience. Even when used in the name of stability or fighting extremism, it often enables worse abuses and a loss of liberty that is hard to undo. [/QUOTE]

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