Comments on Deng Xiaoping’s Report about
Land Reform in the Newly Liberated Regions
(February 17, 1948)
	 1.	 The Dabie Mountains experience summarized by Xiaoping in his report is
very valuable; we hope that every place and army will adopt it.
	 2.	 It is extremely important to divide up into different phases and districts.
During the first period, when the scope of attack is restricted to suppressing
only large and medium-sized landlords and Guomindang reactionary elements, that does not mean we should not suppress the heads of the baojia
[local security] system, local despots, and reactionary elements whom the
peasants want us to suppress. If we take care not to disturb the majority of
rich peasants and small landlords for the time being, there will be no danger.
	 3.	 Decide to organize the poor peasant leagues first, build up the prestige of the
poor peasants and farmhands, wait several months before organizing peasant
associations, unite all peasants, and be strictly on guard against landlords,
rich peasants, and miscreants infiltrating these organizations.
Our source for this text is Jiefang zhanzheng shiqi tudi gaige wenjian xuanbian (Beijing: Zhonggong zhongyang dangxiao chubanshe, 1981), p. 230.
DOI:  10.4324/9781315719436-88