On the Issue of Exposing the Atrocities Committed by the US Army Against Korean and Chinese Soldiers and Civilians
(December 1 and 3, 1953)
Prime Minister Kim, and inform Comrade Du Ping:
The United States has already presented at the UN General Assembly a formal report on alleged atrocities committed by our side against soldiers of the “UN forces” and Korean civilians. Foreign news agencies report that this matter was discussed in the UN General Assembly on November 30, and the US also attempted to pass a resolution “condemning” our side. Regarding this matter, we must counterattack. On the Chinese side, preparations are now underway for Comrade Guo Moruo, in the name of the Chairman of the Chinese People’s Committee for Resisting US Aggression and Aiding Korea, to issue a statement in the form of a reply to a correspondent from a Soviet literary newspaper while the discussion at the UN General Assembly is underway, primarily to expose the atrocities committed by the US against Korean and Chinese soldiers and civilians. We are of the opinion that Korea may also consider issuing a similar document. We should also publish the formal investigative reports on the atrocities committed by the US army against Korean and Chinese soldiers and civilians. The Chinese investigative report is already prepared. A first draft of the Korean side’s report on the US army’s abuse of prisoners of war has been seen, but it still needs careful verification. Please send personnel immediately to Kaesong to consult with Du Ping. As for a general report on atrocities committed by the US army against ordinary soldiers and civilians, we have not yet seen a comprehensive document. We propose that you designate a responsible comrade to immediately undertake the tasks of organizing, compiling, and verifying it, so that the Chinese and Korean reports can be published successively.
[1]
Items 1 and 2 here are two telegrams from Mao Zedong to Kim Il Sung, Premier of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
[2]
Du Ping was then serving as Acting Secretary of the Party Committee of the Chinese People’s Volunteers Delegation to the Korean Military Armistice Commission.

The Complete Works of Mao Zedong, Volume 33
Furthermore, we have dispatched personnel to Pyeokdong to investigate the returned prisoners of war from the East Field Camp regarding the US side’s implementation of a policy of secret agent terror and sabotage to forcibly detain prisoners of war, and we plan to produce this investigation report around December 20. We propose that Korea also send personnel to conduct a similar investigation.
Regarding the investigation into atrocities and the forcible detention of prisoners of war, please maintain regular contact with Beijing through Comrade Du Ping in Kaesong.
Please cable your views on the above points.
Mao Zedong
December 1, 1953

Prime Minister Kim, and inform Comrade Du Ping:
Your telegram of December 2 has been received. Regarding the atrocities committed by the US army against ordinary Korean soldiers and civilians, we are of the opinion that the materials from the four bulletins previously published by the Korean Fatherland Front should be re-edited into a single comprehensive investigative report and republished simultaneously with the report on the US side’s atrocities and abuse of prisoners of war. This is because the so-called atrocity report with which the US side is currently slandering our side includes alleged “atrocities” against both prisoners of war and ordinary soldiers and civilians, covering the entire period of the Korean War. Therefore, we must also present a comprehensive report on the atrocities committed by the US side against Korean and Chinese prisoners of war and ordinary soldiers and civilians during the entire period of the Korean War (including the savage bombings of 1952) as a forceful counterblow. If we do not republish the report on their atrocities against ordinary soldiers and civilians, not only will our counterattack be insufficiently forceful, but the US side may also be able to exploit a loophole. Please cable your views on this matter.
We are now forwarding your telegram to Comrade Du Ping and hope that Comrade Du Ping will immediately establish contact with Beijing and Pyongyang.
Mao Zedong
December 3, 1953
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