Annotation on the Directive Concerning the Inspection and Assistance of the Suppression of Counterrevolutionaries Work
(April 3, 1951)

Chen, Rao; Deng, He; Xi, Zhang[1]:
Please investigate whether the various provinces and sub-districts under your jurisdiction have situations similar to those in Guangdong (2). If such situations exist, please follow Guangdong’s method by dispatching work teams from the provincial military commands to each sub-district and county to inspect and assist the local suppression of counterrevolutionaries work, ensuring the resolute and correct execution of the suppression of counterrevolutionaries tasks. Local suppression of counterrevolutionaries work must also involve provincial-level organs sending work teams to each special district and county to inspect and assist the local suppression of counterrevolutionaries work. This matter is of great importance, and your attention to it is requested.

Mao Zedong
April 3

[1]
Chen refers to Chen Yi, then Second Secretary of the East China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Commander of the East China Military Region of the People’s Liberation Army. Rao refers to Rao Shushi, then First Secretary of the East China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Political Commissar of the East China Military Region of the People’s Liberation Army. Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, then First Secretary of the Southwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Political Commissar of the Southwest Military Region of the People’s Liberation Army. He refers to He Long, then Third Secretary of the Southwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Commander of the Southwest Military Region of the People’s Liberation Army. Xi refers to Xi Zhongxun, then First Secretary of the Northwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Political Commissar of the Northwest Military Region of the People’s Liberation Army. Zhang refers to Zhang Zongxun, then Deputy Secretary of the Northwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and First Deputy Commander of the Northwest Military Region of the People’s Liberation Army.

[2]
Refers to the serious right-deviationist tendencies discovered by the work teams dispatched by the Guangdong Military Command Committee of the CPC to areas such as the Pearl River and Beijiang during work inspections, where certain counties in the aforementioned regions exhibited such tendencies in the suppression of counterrevolutionaries. For example, Yingde County detained 53 heinous criminals without processing them. Among them was a bandit leader named Zhang Yuzhou, who had murdered our comrades and revolutionary masses. Despite being held in custody for over a year, his case remained unprocessed, and complaints filed by the masses were ignored. It was only after a people’s representative raised a complaint at the county people’s congress that the execution was approved, yet it still had not been carried out.