

Web series
Laogai: Prison Nation - Inside China's Ruling System
After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Mao Tsetung established a system of labor camps for systematic repression, known as Laogai, an abbreviation for "Reform Through Labor". In such camps, forced labor and physical and mental torture were used to bring about a so-called mental reform, re-education in the spirit of the Chinese Communist Party. Millions of Chinese were affected. Many were executed. In hundreds of camps, the Party took advantage of the prisoners' free labor to build the economy. Self-criticism and denunciation were often the only way to escape martyrdom. Successive waves of purges culminated in the Cultural Revolution, which saw massive human rights abuses, political assassinations, massacres, and exiles in remote parts of the country. Using unreleased archive footage, the documentary tells the story of the invention, development and improvement of China's totalitarian system of surveillance and repression up to the present day, never told before.
- Status
- Ended
- Type
- Documentary
- Last aired
- 2023-03-28
- Language
- English
ARTE
ARTE
- totalitarian regime
- oppression
- labor camp
- prison camp
- communist china
- political documentary
- forced labor
- contemporary history
- chinese history
Seasons
Top billed cast

Behind the camera
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for Belgium. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
Videos
No extra videos are listed for this title yet.
Air dates
- First aired
- 2023-03-28
- Latest episode
- 2023-03-28
- Status
- Ended
- Next release
- Completed
- Season 128 Mar 2023
Frequently asked questions
Laogai: Prison Nation - Inside China's Ruling System is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in India. Use the official Watch now links in the Where to watch section above.
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