Central Directive on Transmitting the Henan Provincial Party Committee’s Report on Suppressing Counterrevolutionaries and Telegram to the Central-South Bureau

(January 21, 1951)

To the East China Bureau, Southwest Bureau, Northwest Bureau, North China Bureau, Northeast Bureau, and request forwarding to their subordinate provincial, municipal, and district Party committees:

We consider the Henan Provincial Party Committee’s January 13 report on suppressing counterrevolutionary activities to be correct and hereby forward it for your reference. We hope that every provincial, municipal, and district Party committee will produce a summary report on suppressing counterrevolutionaries.

[I] The Henan Provincial Party Committee’s January 13, 1951, report to the Central Committee stated:
The movement to suppress counterrevolutionaries in Henan Province has achieved significant results after correcting right-leaning tendencies. This major revolutionary action has inevitably elicited tremendous reactions across all sectors of society: the basic masses of workers and peasants are very pleased; the landlord class no longer displays arrogance; among democratic personages, aside from the left-leaning ones who actively support it, another segment expresses “uncertainty” and remains silent and reticent; the industrial and commercial circles also show silence and caution, with an air of “refraining from discussing state affairs”; urban students and new cadres in government organs have also been somewhat shaken. Meanwhile, the leadership in some areas has become dazzled by success, and signs of confusion are beginning to emerge. In light of the above situation, the Provincial Party Committee has decided to generally halt arrests, exercise greater strategic caution in carrying out executions, and strictly prohibit rash and hasty actions. Those who should be released shall be promptly processed and set free through certain procedures and with the involvement of the masses, deliberately easing the atmosphere. At the same time, in conjunction with mass movements such as the Resist America and Aid Korea campaign and land reform, extensive propaganda work shall be carried out to explain policies and reasons, thereby stabilizing the masses of all strata. However, counterrevolutionary elements who have slipped through the net shall continue to be tracked down and arrested to ensure they are brought to justice.

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Central Directive on Transmitting the Henan Provincial Party Committee’s Report on Suppressing Counterrevolutionaries and Telegram to the Central-South Bureau

To the Central-South Bureau and, for transmission, the Henan Provincial Party Committee:

We have received the Henan Provincial Party Committee’s January 13 report on suppressing counterrevolutionary activities. We consider this report to be very good and have already forwarded it to all central bureaus and provincial, municipal, and district Party committees for reference. The Central-South Bureau is requested to also forward this report by telegram to Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Guangxi for reference, and to ask each of these five provinces to produce a similar summary report on eliminating counterrevolutionaries.

The Central Committee
January 21

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Telegram to the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee on the Deployment of Suppressing Counterrevolutionaries
(January 21, 1951)

To the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee, with copies to Rao and Chen [I]:

Your comprehensive report for November and December 1950, forwarded by the East China Bureau on January 6, has been received. It is very good and greatly reassuring. The report mentions several central tasks for January and February of this year, which are also good. It states that you plan to deliver a powerful blow to counterrevolutionary elements in January. We hope you will conduct thorough reconnaissance and planning for this. Once the arrangements are in place, act simultaneously to carry out a precise round of arrests. Then, carefully process and interrogate the cases, and execute a large number of truly heinous counterrevolutionary elements guilty of the most monstrous crimes.

In a large city like Shanghai, it may be necessary to execute one to two thousand people within this year to resolve the issue. Executing three to five hundred in the spring to suppress the enemy’s arrogance and give vent to the people’s righteous indignation is very necessary. Under the direct leadership of the East China Bureau, please assess the situation and handle matters appropriately. As for Nanjing, the East China Bureau is requested to guide its Municipal Party Committee in properly arranging reconnaissance, arrests, and interrogations, striving to execute one to two hundred of the most important reactionary elements in the spring.

Mao Zedong
January 21

[I] Rao refers to Rao Shushi, then First Secretary of the East China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Chen refers to Chen Yi, then Second Secretary of the East China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee.

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