To the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress:

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China hereby submits to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress the following proposal: On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, a special amnesty should be granted to a group of war criminals, counter-revolutionary offenders, and common criminal offenders who have genuinely reformed and turned over a new leaf.  Our socialist revolution and socialist construction have already achieved great victories. The motherland is thriving; production and construction are flourishing; and the people’s living standards are steadily improving. The people’s democratic dictatorship has been consolidated and strengthened as never before. The political consciousness and organizational level of the people throughout the country have reached an unprecedented height, and the political and economic situation of the state is extremely favorable. The policy pursued by the Party and the People’s Government—combining punishment with leniency and combining labor reform with ideological education—has yielded remarkable results. The majority of prisoners of all categories have undergone varying degrees of rehabilitation, and many have indeed reformed and turned over a new leaf.  In light of this situation, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China deems it appropriate, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, to announce a special amnesty for a group of war criminals, counter-revolutionary offenders, and common criminal offenders who have truly reformed and turned over a new leaf. Such a measure will further help to transform negative elements into positive ones and will serve as an important educational tool both for these particular offenders and for other prisoners still in custody, demonstrating that under our great socialist system, anyone who reforms and turns over a new leaf can look forward to a bright future.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China respectfully requests that the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress consider the above proposal and adopt a corresponding resolution.

Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
September 14, 1959