Comrade Rao Shushi, transmit to the Shanghai Municipal Committee:

Approved. The March 15 Suppression of Counterrevolutionaries Plan of the Shanghai Municipal Committee.

This plan includes concrete steps for implementation, a timeline, and prepared numerical targets for executions, imprisonments, and placements under surveillance—a major step forward compared to the past.

In a large city like Shanghai, to carry out large-scale arrests and large-scale executions in several batches, it is first necessary to achieve unity in thinking within the Party. On this point, refer to the experience of the Cang County Prefectural Committee. [2]

Second, it is necessary to win the support of people from all circles. On this point, refer to the experience of the Beijing Municipal Committee. [3] They first passed a resolution at the Conference of Representatives from All Circles generally endorsing the central government’s Counterrevolutionary Suppression Ordinance, and then proceeded with large-scale arrests. If the Shanghai Conference of Representatives from All Circles is to be held soon, this can also be done; otherwise, arrests can be carried out first.

The method used by the Beijing Municipality to win the support of representative figures from all circles was mainly through one small meeting of over a hundred people, followed by a large meeting of five thousand. At the former, in addition to explaining the situation, typical evidence and case details were displayed for them to see, which resulted in aroused public indignation and a unanimous demand for resolute suppression of counterrevolutionaries. The latter meeting was convened on March 24, primarily featuring victims taking the stage to lodge accusations, with the aim of winning the support of five thousand representative figures, after which a large batch was executed.

Judging from Beijing’s experience, it is possible to win the support of democratic personages and the bourgeoisie, provided our work is done well.

The suppression of counterrevolutionaries is a great struggle. Only when this task is done well can political power be consolidated. The suppression of counterrevolutionaries includes: (1) counterrevolutionaries in society; (2) counterrevolutionaries hidden among old personnel in the military and administrative systems and among new intellectuals; (3) counterrevolutionaries hidden within the Party. In suppressing counterrevolutionaries in these three areas, there must of course be steps and they cannot be carried out simultaneously. However, for certain most important departments of the Party, government, and military—especially public security departments—it is entirely necessary to carry out timely purges, to take preemptive measures against suspicious elements, and to ensure these organs are in the hands of reliable personnel. Where conditions permit, items one and two can also be carried out simultaneously. For example, the purge work in the directly subordinate organs of the Southwest Military and Administrative Committee is already underway and has achieved results.

Mao Zedong
March 24

Based on the manuscript.