Central Committee’s Comment Transmitting the East China Bureau’s Directive on Organizing People’s Tribunals
(August 19, 1950)

To all Central Bureau branches and sub-bureaus:

The East China Bureau’s directive on organizing People’s Tribunals¹ is correct. It is expected that you will also issue a directive of this kind as circumstances warrant.

The Central Committee
August 19

¹ This refers to the Directive of the Central Committee’s East China Bureau, dated August 17, 1950, on organizing People’s Tribunals. The directive stipulated: (1) People’s Tribunals should be established first in counties where bandit and special-agent activities are relatively frequent and where agrarian reform is scheduled to be carried out this winter. (2) From among cadres such as the deputy secretary of the county Party committee, the director of the county peasant association, the deputy county magistrate, or the head of the county public security bureau, one person should be selected to concurrently serve as the presiding judge of the county People’s Tribunal, and a competent full-time cadre should be appointed as the deputy presiding judge. (3) Cadres and personnel designated to work in the People’s Tribunals should undergo short-term specialized training conducted by each province (or region). (4) In counties where cadres are relatively strong and the work foundation is relatively good, the county magistrate or county Party secretary, or even the special commissioner, should first personally try and handle one or two cases, serving as a demonstration and drawing lessons from them, in order to educate cadres.