The ensuing campaign aimed to "eradicate" the group through a combination of propaganda, imprisonment, and coercive thought reform of adherents, sometimes resulting in deaths.
After seizing power the communists continued to deploy united front strategies to train new communist intellectuals, "and, using thought reform based on criticism, began the transformation of the old society intellectuals."
During the Yan'an Rectification Campaign, more sophisticated techniques of thought reform were used than had been previously attempted in China.
Relying on criticism, self-criticism, "struggle", confession, and the content of the (allegedly scientific) Marxist doctrine, these methods were heavily influenced by contemporary Soviet practices of thought reform.
Thanks for the response, I appreciate your observations on the governments proposals and the impact these ill thought reforms would have on a section of society.
When the Communists came to power, they arrested a number of even those Westerners who had been sympathetic, forcing them to undergo thought reform and confess to having been spies.
The group will claim to be the only way to God...and will use thought reform or mind control techniques to gain control and keep their members.
It also provides fascinating insights into thought reform in Mao's China.
If they rely on thought reform to get and keep members.
Lifton's "Eight criteria for thought reform" are criteria to identify a destructive cult.