Commentary on the Guangdong Military Region Party Committee’s Directive Regarding the Dispatch of Work Teams to Inspect and Assist in the Suppression-of-Counterrevolutionary Activities Campaign (April 3, 1951) Comrades Chen, Rao, Deng, He, Xi, and Zhang: Please examine whether similar situations exist in the provinces and military sub-districts under your jurisdiction as those in Guangdong.2 If such cases are found, follow Guangdong’s approach: have the military regions of each province dispatch work teams to the respective sub-districts and counties to inspect and assist local suppression efforts, ensuring that this task is carried out firmly yet correctly. Local authorities should also send work teams at the provincial level to various prefectures and counties to oversee and aid their suppression activities. This matter is extremely important; please give it due attention. Mao Zedong April 3 Based on the manuscript for publication. Notes [1] Chen refers to Chen Yi, who at the time was 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, First Secretary of the East China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Political Commissar of the East China Military Region. Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, First Secretary of the Southwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Political Commissar of the Southwest Military Region. He refers to £² 0

He Long, Third Secretary of the Southwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Commander of the Southwest Military Region. Xi refers to Xi Zhongxun, First Secretary of the Northwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Political Commissar of the Northwest Military Region. Zhang refers to Zhang Zongsun, Deputy Secretary of the Northwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and First Deputy Commander of the Northwest Military Region. [2] Refers to the serious right-leaning tendencies discovered by the work teams sent by the CPC Guangdong Military Region Committee to the Pearl River and North River areas during their inspection of counter-revolutionary suppression work in certain counties of these regions. For example, Yingde County had detained fifty-three particularly heinous criminals without taking any action against them. Among these was a bandit leader named Zhang Yuzhou, who had murdered our comrades and revolutionary masses; despite being held for over a year, no action was taken, and even complaints lodged by the masses were ignored. Only after people’s representatives raised the issue at the county people’s congress was execution finally approved—but it was never carried out.