Comrades, today is August 1st, and we are holding a memorial meeting here. Why such a large memorial? Because revolutionary comrades and anti-Japanese fighters have been murdered—this is a grave matter. Who ought to be killed now? Traitors to the nation and Japanese imperialists should be killed. Yet we have been locked in bitter combat with them, still undecided in our struggle, while very few of the enemy have fallen. Instead, it is our revolutionary comrades and anti-Japanese warriors who have been slain. By whom? By our own troops. Why did our troops turn on the anti-Japanese fighters? Because they were carrying out orders—someone had directed them to kill. And who gave that order? A section of the reactionaries was behind it.

Comrades! Logically, those responsible for this crime should be the Japanese imperialists first, followed by traitors like Wang Jingwei. But the killings did not occur in Shanghai, Beiping, Tianjin, or Nanjing—in areas occupied by the Japanese and their collaborators. No, they took place right here in Pingjiang, deep in the rear of the resistance front. The victims were leading officials of the New Fourth Army’s Pingjiang Communications Office: Tu Zhengkun, Luo Ziming, and others. It is clear: these executioners, these reactionaries, acted under the direct command of Japanese imperialism and Wang Jingwei. With utmost deference, they carried out the orders of the Japanese overlords and the traitorous puppet regime, ruthlessly slaughtering our anti-Japanese patriots. This is no minor incident; it is a major one—absolutely not a small matter. Had it been insignificant, we would not be holding this memorial today.

Those comrades who have been murdered—Tu, Luo, and their colleagues—were anti-Japanese cadres, soldiers of the New Fourth Army, and members of the Communist Party. These loyal and valiant fighters were deliberately targeted and betrayed by anti-communist, counterrevolutionary elements. These reactionaries are preparing to surrender; step by step, they first eliminate the most resolute opponents of Japan. This is no trivial affair. We must oppose it, we must protest. Right now, across the country, all forces are united in the national war of resistance. Within this great unity, however, there exist reactionary and surrenderist elements. What do they do? They engage in precisely such acts: murdering anti-Japanese activists, suppressing progress, colluding with the Japanese and their collaborators, and preparing to capitulate. But who has stepped forward to address this monstrous slaughter of our comrades? Since the murders occurred at three o’clock in the afternoon on June 11th, and now it is August 1st, have we seen any official response? Who ought to intervene? Surely, China’s laws should have been invoked—the law should have spoken. Take, for example, the High People’s Court of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region. What does it do? It deals exclusively with traitors and other enemies of the people. Had such an event transpired within that jurisdiction, our High Court would long since have issued a statement. Yet nearly two months have passed since the Pingjiang Massacre, and neither the law nor the judges have lifted a finger to investigate or act. Our nation possesses laws, however imperfect; they remain laws nonetheless. What, then, is the purpose of law? It should protect anti-Japanese fighters, punish traitors, and repress reactionaries. Yet, in the case of the Pingjiang Massacre, the legal authorities have remained utterly silent. What does this mean? Are the laws dead? Or do they tacitly condone the perpetrators?

Therefore, we, the people, must now demand accountability. We call upon all our compatriots to rise up, to safeguard the cause of national resistance, to oppose traitors and reactionaries, and to uphold justice above all else. That is why we convene this assembly today—not merely to mourn a handful of fallen comrades, but to defend the very lives of all anti-Japanese patriots and fellow citizens. Unity is essential; without it, victory cannot be achieved. What does unity entail? It means a grand anti-Japanese front, a vast coalition of the people, advancing together through rewards and punishments. Rewards should go to those who stand firm in resistance, unite, and advance; penalties must be imposed upon traitors, reactionaries, and those who seek to reverse the tide of history. Is such unity present today? It is not. The Pingjiang Massacre stands as stark evidence of this absence. It demonstrates clearly that true unity remains elusive. We have long advocated for nationwide unification under the banner of the War of Resistance. Yet, instead of being protected, comrades like Tu Zhengkun and Luo Ziming have been brutally slaughtered, while the very villains who opposed the resistance, plotted surrender, and committed murder remain unpunished. This is the essence of disunity. We must resist these evil forces, these surrenderists, and bring the murderers to justice. First, we need unity based on solidarity. Those who champion unity deserve recognition, while those who undermine it must be held accountable. But today, the very comrades who stood for unity—Tu Zhengkun, Luo Ziming, and others—have themselves been punished, executed by firing squad, whereas the destructive elements that tore apart our ranks have faced no consequences whatsoever. This is the hallmark of disunity.

Second, we require unity founded on progress. The entire nation must move forward; those lagging behind must align themselves with the vanguard, never allowing the progressive forces to be dragged back. We must persevere in the War of Resistance, rejecting compromise; consolidate domestic unity, preventing internal division; and strive for national advancement, refusing to regress. The executioners of Pingjiang slaughtered those who sought progress—this is something we will not tolerate. This is why we need the rule of law, why we need unity. We require laws to protect our anti-Japanese soldiers and people, and laws to punish surrenderists, saboteurs, and reactionaries. We must achieve unified action nationwide: steadfast resistance without surrender; unwavering unity without fragmentation; and relentless progress without retreat. Surrenderists, separatists, reactionaries—these evil forces—must all be brought to justice under the law.

The Pingjiang Massacre carries profound significance. Though only a few individuals were killed in this single incident, which occurred in Pingjiang County, Hunan Province, it is, in truth, a matter of national importance—a national tragedy. Consider this: if this continues—if one Communist Party member is murdered today, ten tomorrow, and then a hundred, a thousand, even tens of thousands—we shall see the same fate befall patriotic patriots. Tens, hundreds, thousands, millions could perish. If that happens, China will surely fall, to the great delight of the Japanese overlords and Wang Jingwei. Since the beginning of the War of Resistance, dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Communist Party members and patriots have already been assassinated. The Pingjiang Massacre is merely the latest in this grim series. Should this trend continue, the entire anti-Japanese movement could be wiped out. What does it mean to kill those who fight against Japan? It signifies the implementation of orders from Japanese imperialism and Wang Jingwei—to prepare for surrender by first eliminating anti-Japanese soldiers, Communists, and patriots. Unless we stop this madness, China will indeed perish at the hands of these treacherous elements.

Therefore, this is a matter of national urgency. It demands that we speak out everywhere, that we raise our voices across the land. How shall we do so? By writing letters and dispatching telegrams to the National Government, urging them to prosecute these reactionaries, these murderers, and these troublemakers with the utmost severity. Comrades, let us understand: recently, Japanese imperialist interference has intensified, and international imperialist powers have grown increasingly supportive of Japan. Meanwhile, Chinese collaborators—both open traitors like Wang Jingwei and covert agents—continue to undermine the resistance, sow discord, and push for regression. Their aim is nothing less than national subversion: internal division and civil war. We must oppose this sinister plot. Today, in Yan’an, we issue this communiqué, sending it far and wide, to prevent such atrocities from recurring and to ensure that similar incidents never happen again. We must enforce the law, achieve genuine unity, and safeguard our revolutionary and anti-Japanese comrades, our cadres, and our people. Only in this way can we defeat Japanese imperialism and secure ultimate victory. Otherwise, China will remain in grave danger.

Today, we unanimously declare: we oppose such actions. We demand that Chairman Chiang Kai-shek and President Lin Sen enforce laws protecting revolutionary and anti-Japanese comrades, establish nationwide unity around the War of Resistance, foster unity, and promote progress. If the laws fail to work and unity remains elusive, the people must continue to press for change until effective legislation is enacted, unity is achieved, and these vile elements—saboteurs, reactionaries, and surrenderists—are brought to heel. Let no further such tragedies occur.

There exists within our ranks a clandestine practice known as “Suppressing Other Parties,” whose content is entirely reactionary, serving the interests of Japanese imperialism. It undermines the resistance, harms unity, and stifles progress. What, exactly, constitutes an “other party”? The Japanese fascists are an “other party”; Wang Jingwei is an “other party”; so too are all traitors. But what of the Communist Party and other anti-Japanese factions, which stand united in the struggle against foreign aggression? Are they also “other parties”? Regrettably, certain surrenderist, reactionary, and obstinate elements persist in sowing discord and fomenting division within the broad anti-Japanese coalition. Is this behavior acceptable? Absolutely not. All present burst into applause. So, whom should we truly suppress? The Japanese imperialists, Wang Jingwei, the reactionaries, and the surrenderists. Applause erupts. Why target the most anti-Japanese, the most revolutionary, the most progressive—the Communists? This is utterly wrong. Here in Yan’an, we express our resolute opposition and vehement protest. We must reject this so-called “Suppression of Other Parties,” for it serves only to perpetuate the very evils that tear our ranks apart. The purpose of this gathering today is precisely this—not simply to commemorate a few comrades, but to carry forward the War of Resistance, to strengthen unity, and to advance the cause of progress. To that end, we must abolish the policy of “Suppressing Other Parties,” sanction those surrenderist and reactionary elements, and protect every revolutionary comrade, every anti-Japanese fighter, and every member of the people. Loud cheers and slogans fill the hall.