Central Commentary on the Shanghai Municipal Committee’s Decision to Strictly Enforce All Disciplinary Rules During the Three-Anti and Five-Anti Campaigns (March 29, 1952)  To the Shanghai Municipal Committee, and to all Central Bureaus and Branch Bureaus:  The Central Committee approves the Shanghai Municipal Committee’s decision of March 25 concerning the strict enforcement of all disciplinary rules in the course of the Three-Anti and Five-Anti campaigns [1]. It is requested that all Central Bureaus and Branch Bureaus instruct the organs under their jurisdiction to ensure that personnel stationed in Shanghai comply with this directive. At the same time, all cities throughout the country should, in carrying out the Three-Anti and Five-Anti campaigns, adopt Shanghai’s approach in establishing stringent discipline and effectively curbing disorderly conduct.  Printed on March 29 by the Central Committee from Mao Zedong’s manuscript.  Notes [ ]

The main contents of the Decision of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee of March 25, 1952, on the strict enforcement of all disciplinary rules in the Three-Anti and Five-Anti campaigns are as follows:

(1) All organs and organizations within this municipality that wish to arrest persons implicated in the Three-Anti campaign must obtain approval from the Municipal Committee, then coordinate with the Municipal Public Security Bureau and the relevant district committees before proceeding with lawful execution. Units of the Central Authorities and those located in various parts of East China which have offices in Shanghai must first secure approval from the East China Bureau and thereafter make arrangements through the Municipal Committee. As for units belonging to major administrative regions outside East China, they must, in addition to securing approval from the highest local authority, also come to the Municipal Committee to handle such matters.

(2) Regardless of whether they are based in this city or elsewhere, any organ or organization that needs to summon individuals within this municipality for questioning in connection with the Three-Anti campaign must obtain the Municipal Committee’s approval and then coordinate with the appropriate district committee. Thereafter, the public security sub-bureau shall issue a summons and bring the person concerned to the sub-bureau for interrogation. No one may be detained overnight without having completed the necessary formalities for detention.

(3) With regard to the issues of returning stolen property and recovering stolen assets during the Three-Anti campaign, the East China Bureau has already issued instructions, and the methods it prescribes for returning and recovering such items are entirely correct. However, since Shanghai is currently undergoing the Five-Anti campaign, it is inappropriate for individual units to undertake recovery efforts on their own initiative. Any organ or organization, whether based in this city or elsewhere, that needs to recover stolen property within this municipality must bring the relevant materials to the Municipal Committee for Increased Production and Economy and make contact there. The Committee will, according to the specific circumstances and in due order, investigate and verify the matter and then report the results back to the relevant unit. As for the recovered funds and goods, these shall be uniformly deposited with the People’s Bank. Investigations and interrogations of personnel involved in the Three-Anti campaign concerning the receipt and storage of such items should also be halted immediately. Once the city-wide Five-Anti campaign is fully launched, the issue of recovering stolen property can be resolved. Personnel responsible for recovery in various organs and organizations may join the city’s Five-Anti inspection teams and cooperate in the work.

(4) Whenever it becomes necessary, in connection with the Three-Anti campaign, to freeze or seize private assets, or to seal off or confiscate private property, such actions must invariably be approved by the Municipal Committee for Increased Production and Economy, after which they shall be carried out in accordance with the law by the Military Law Division of the Military Control Commission or by the Municipal People’s Court.