Commentary on the Report by Hong Xuezhi and Zhang Guohua[1] Concerning the Situation in the Shannan Region of Tibet (June 20, 1959) This document[2] is to be forwarded by Shangkun[3] to the Party committees of all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, as well as to all military regions. It is also to be distributed to all members and alternate members of the Central Committee. Mao Zedong June 20

Based on the manuscript. Notes [ ] Hong Xuezhi was at that time the Minister of the General Logistics Department of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Zhang Guohua was then the Commander of the Tibet Military Region of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

[2] The main content of this report, dated June 15, 1959, submitted by Hong Xuezhi and Zhang Guohua to the Central Military Commission and to Huang Kecheng, Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, is as follows: First, Shannan is an agricultural region in Tibet located near the border. The three major landlords—the monasteries, the aristocracy, and the government—exploit the people not only through land ownership but also by extorting them under various pretexts. Second, there are currently more than a thousand bandits operating in Shannan, mainly fugitives from other areas together with a small number of staunch anti-government elements and core members from within the region. Their modus operandi is characterized as follows: (1) militarily, they break up into small groups and disperse for concealment; (2) politically, they employ new deceptive tactics to sow discord and carry out sabotage; (3) organizationally, they exert control over the masses, openly or covertly, through agents of the three major landlords stationed throughout the area. Third, the overall situation among the people of Shannan is favorable; they are actively supporting the suppression of the rebellion and engaging in production. Fourth, in light of the current activities of the enemy and other relevant factors, the present policy for the clean-up operation should be to fully mobilize the masses, combining political persuasion with military strikes.

[3] Shangkun refers to Yang Shangkun, who at that time served as an Alternate Member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Central Office.