Commentary on the Central-South Bureau’s Directive for Strengthening Propaganda in the Suppression-of-Counterrevolutionary Movement (March 30, 1951) To all Central Bureaus and Military Area Commands, with copy to Sub-bureaus, Provincial Committees, Regional Party Committees, Municipal Committees of large and medium-sized cities, Prefectural Committees, and Local Military Area Commands; also to all departments directly under the Central Committee:

Insufficient publicity regarding the suppression-of-counterrevolutionary movement is a widespread problem. The press has exposed far too little about the activities of counterrevolutionary elements. Moreover, efforts to mobilize the broad masses of the people and democratic personages from all sectors to participate in and take an active interest in this campaign have been woefully inadequate across the board. In many localities, officials have proceeded timidly and haltingly, afraid to launch a vigorous, all-out drive against counterrevolutionaries. This situation must be rectified without delay.

Over the past two weeks, the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin have made substantial progress by conducting a robust, wide-ranging propaganda campaign, systematically exposing counterrevolutionary forces through mass meetings involving scores, hundreds, even thousands or more participants, as well as through the newspapers and radio stations and via exhibitions. Such intensive outreach has brought the campaign to the attention of every household and engaged the entire population and all sectors of the democratic community in the struggle, thereby shattering the mystique surrounding the issue and overcoming the tendency toward cautious, half-hearted, and hesitant action. The results have been highly effective. The Central-South Bureau has now issued its own directive to expand propaganda for the suppression-of-counterrevolutionary movement, which may serve as a reference for other regions.

Mao Zedong, March 30. Printed from the manuscript.