Regarding the Transmittal of the Guangxi Suppression of Counterrevolutionaries Report: Instructions and a Reply Telegram to Zhang Yunyi\[1\] (January 23 and 24, 1951)

**I**

Chen and Rao\[2\] and the Party Committee of the East China Military Region; Deng and Tan\[3\] and the Party Committee of the Central-South Military Region; He and Deng\[4\] and the Party Committee of the Southwest Military Region; Zhang and Xi\[5\] and the Party Committee of the Northwest Military Region; Nie and Bo\[6\] and the Party Committee of the North China Military Region; and please forward to the Party committees of all subordinate military regions, army corps, and armies:

Please conduct an inspection of whether the leading Party organs and responsible comrades at and above the army level within the military have paid attention to the Central Committee’s directive of October 10, 1950, on correcting right-leaning deviations in the suppression of counterrevolutionary activities, whether this directive has been conveyed, whether such right-leaning deviations have existed in their own bandit suppression work and in assisting local work, and whether such deviations have been overcome. Report the results of this inspection to the Military Commission.

According to reports from Guangxi, the Guangxi Military Region once committed astonishing right-leaning errors in its bandit suppression work, practicing boundless leniency and failing to execute bandit chieftains, local despots, and other counterrevolutionary elements, to the extent that bandit calamities ran rampant, reaching an extreme point, with bandits multiplying the more they were suppressed, and the people suffering immensely. Guangxi began correcting this error in September last year. In three months, over three thousand bandit chieftains, habitual bandits, and other principal reactionary elements were correctly executed, and the situation was completely transformed: bandit arrogance greatly subsided, and the people’s morale was greatly boosted.

A report from Guangxi, forwarded by the Political Department of the Central-South Military Region on January 16, is now transmitted to you for your perusal. This is an extremely valuable report. We hope you will study it conscientiously and draw your own conclusions to report to us.

Mao Zedong
January 23

**II**

Comrade Yunyi, with information to Zihui and Jianying\[8\]:

Your telegram of January 16 has been received. Work in Guangxi has greatly developed: over ninety thousand bandits have been annihilated, over three thousand bandit chieftains and local despots have been executed, agrarian reform has also been initiated, bandit arrogance has greatly fallen, and the people’s morale has been greatly boosted. The achievements are very great. Comrades of the Central Committee and I are all very pleased.

Comrade Yunyi is ill and urgently needs to rest and recuperate until fully recovered. Upon arriving in Guangzhou, please ask Ye and Fang\[9\] to make proper arrangements for his care.

Mao Zedong
January 24

Based on the manuscript.

**Notes**

\[1\] Zhang Yunyi, then serving as Second Secretary of the South China Sub-Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of the CPC Guangxi Provincial Committee, and Commander and Political Commissar of the PLA Guangxi Military Region.

\[2\] Chen refers to Chen Yi, then Commander of the PLA East China Military Region. Rao refers to Rao Shushi, then Political Commissar of the PLA East China Military Region.

\[3\] Deng refers to Deng Zihui, then Second Political Commissar of the PLA Central-South Military Region. Tan refers to Tan Zheng, then Third Political Commissar of the PLA Central-South Military Region.

\[4\] He refers to He Long, then Commander of the PLA Southwest Military Region. Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, then Political Commissar of the PLA Southwest Military Region.

\[5\] Zhang refers to Zhang Zongxun, then First Deputy Commander of the PLA Northwest Military Region. Xi refers to Xi Zhongxun, then Political Commissar of the PLA Northwest Military Region.

\[6\] Nie refers to Nie Rongzhen, then Commander of the PLA North China Military Region. Bo refers to Bo Yibo, then Political Commissar of the PLA North China Military Region.

\[7\] Refers to the report of the Political Department of the PLA Central-South Military Region, dated January 16, 1951, to the General Political Department on the situation before and after Guangxi implemented the suppression policy.

\[8\] Jianying, i.e., Ye Jianying, then First Secretary of the South China Sub-Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Commander and Political Commissar of the PLA Guangdong Military Region.

\[9\] Ye refers to Ye Jianying. Fang refers to Fang Fang, then Third Secretary of the South China Sub-Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.