"Vile woman". "World-class monster". "Evil". Social media platforms have been filled with anger and criticism rather than condolences following thedeath of China's one-child policy czar, Peng Peiyun. Peng, who was tasked with enforcing the draconian policy from 1980-2015, has become the subject of hate as her death reopened old wounds over the long-abandoned population control measure.
Peng died on December 21 in Beijing, with the Chinese Communist Party calling her an "outstanding leader" in population policy and women's and children's issues. However, for lakhs of Chinese citizens, her passing was a moment of reckoning. Several users took to Weibo and X to recount the pain and trauma that their mothers or close ones underwent during the controversial population control drive.
