January 22, 1951
To Ye, Huang, Xiao, Lin,[1] and to the Central-South Bureau:

Your telegram of January 17 has been received. The situation in Guangdong is now clear, and your dispositions are correct. It is hoped that you will strive to fulfill the tasks. In addition, pay attention to the work of suppressing counterrevolutionaries. All bandit chieftains, local tyrants, and major special agents connected with bandit suppression may be sentenced to death by the military tribunals of the military region and military sub-districts; all important counterrevolutionary elements not connected with bandit suppression shall be sentenced to death by the local courts and the military justice departments of the military control commissions; ordinary local tyrants and lawless landlords in the villages shall be subjected to struggle and surveillance by the peasants and sentenced by the people's tribunals. Handling these matters through these three channels in this way can be expected to be swift and also relatively appropriate. Guangdong must, in a planned manner, execute several thousand important reactionary elements in order to lower the enemy's arrogance and uphold righteousness. It is hoped that you will arrange and carry this out prudently and properly.

Mao Zedong
January 22

[1] Ye refers to Ye Jianying, then First Secretary of the South China Sub-Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Commander and Political Commissar of the Guangdong Military Region of the People's Liberation Army. Huang refers to Huang Yongsheng, then Deputy Commander of the Guangdong Military Region of the People's Liberation Army. Xiao refers to Xiao Xiangrong, then Deputy Political Commissar and Director of the Political Department of the Guangdong Military Region of the People's Liberation Army. Lin refers to Lin Ping, i.e., Yin Linping, then Deputy Political Commissar of the Guangdong Military Region of the People's Liberation Army.