ON STRICT CONTROL OF DEPARTING PERSONS--ORDER NO 37 OF CENTRAL PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE

27 December 1932

[Text] We are now in the tense period in which the imperialist Kuomintang is mounting large-scale attacks on the Central Soviet, and we must naturally take extra care concerning people departing from the Soviet. They must be subjected to close examination and not allowed to leave the area at will. This is to prevent oppressive gentry, landlords and all counterrevolutionary elements from departing freely from the area and engaging in counterrevolutionary activities. In order to consolidate the Soviets and protect the interests of the workers-peasant masses, the Provisional Central Government has laid down regulations for people departing from the Soviet areas as follows:

1. All persons departing from the Soviet areas must have an exit visa from the State Political Security Office and a travel pass from the government before they are allowed to go. If they have only the visa and not the travel pass, or especially if they have only the travel pass and not the visa, they shall not be allowed to go.

2. The State Political Security Office and its provincial and county branches (the district special representatives have no power to issue visas) must subject all persons requesting to depart to close examination, and only those who are determined to have a need to go outside the area may be issued exit visas. The route by which they are to depart must be specified on the visa.

3. Provincial, county and district governments (the township governments have no power to issue travel passes) should issue travel passes to leave the area to people with only State Political Security Office visas who request them only in accordance with the route specified on the visa, and not otherwise. The district governments in particular, when drawing up exit passes, must investigate thoroughly to assure that the persons are really transients or departing persons from that district whose route must pass through that district, and are not people who have purposely fled to that district from other districts to obtain travel passes, before they issue them. All local governments, security offices at all levels, all military organs and all investigative organs are charged

with complying fully with the above points in order to intensify the Red martial law. This is most essential. It is so ordered.

Soviet governments at all levels

State Political Security Offices at all levels

All military organs

Chairman Mao Tse-tung
Vice-Chairmen Hsiang Ying, Chang Kuo-tao
27 Dec 1932

Red China, No 46, 7 Jan 1933