In 1957, during the period of mainland China's Hundred Flowers campaign (when intellectuals were encouraged to air their grievances), Harry Wu was in his second year at university and criticized the Soviet invasion of Hungary.
他在一九五七年大學二年級時，因響應「百花齊效」運動，指責蘇聯入侵匈牙利，而被中共指為「反革命分子」，此後在勞改營度過十九個年頭。