Do not open fire on mass organizations, whether revolutionary, controlled by reactionaries, or of unclear status; only political work may be conducted.


Sichuan
Four


Absolutely no mass “confession” campaigns are to be carried out. Nor should the masses be forced to write self-criticisms. Any self-written self-critiques should be returned to their authors. As for those members of the masses who have long remained unenlightened and persist in erroneous views, do not rush them to admit their mistakes, but give them time to educate themselves through struggle. Physical punishment and disguised forms of physical punishment are prohibited. For example, wearing a tall hat, hanging a black plaque, parading in the streets, forcing someone to kneel, and so on.
[I]
This first section is a note written by

Mao Zedong on Lin Biao’s draft of the Central Military Commission’s Ten Orders, submitted for review on April 2, 1967; this second section is a note on Lin Biao’s revised draft submitted on April 5; sections three and four contain revisions to Article One and Article Six of Lin Biao’s April 2 draft, with text printed in Song typeface representing additions and edits made by Mao Zedong.
[2]
In addition to the changes noted in sections three and four, Mao Zedong also modified Article Three, changing the phrase “for definitively identified reactionary organizations” to “for mass organizations that have been confirmed to be controlled by reactionaries”; he removed the words “generally” from the fourth article’s statement, “For the masses who previously attacked military organs, regardless of whether they were on the left, center, or right, generally no accountability will be pursued”; he revised the sentence in Article Four stating, “It is not permissible to categorize people as left, center, or right based solely on whether they had attacked military organs,” to read, “It is not permissible to classify individuals as left, center, or right merely on the basis of whether they had ever attacked military institutions”; and he deleted the phrase “In the army, it is necessary to thoroughly carry out education on the two-line struggle between the proletarian revolutionary line represented by Chairman Mao and the bourgeois counter-revolutionary line represented by Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping” from Article Seven, specifically removing the words “represented by Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping.” There were also several other minor textual adjustments.
[3]
The Central Military Commission of the CPC issued this order on April 6, 1967. The ten articles, after being reviewed and amended by Mao Zedong, read as follows:


(1) Do not open fire on mass organizations—whether revolutionary, controlled by reactionaries, or of unclear status—only political work may be conducted.


(2) Arbitrary arrests are prohibited, especially mass arrests. Counterrevolutionary elements that have been conclusively identified must be arrested, but only with solid evidence and after proper approval procedures have been followed.


(3) It is forbidden to arbitrarily declare mass organizations as reactionary and ban them. Even more so, revolutionary organizations must not be labeled as counterrevolutionary. For mass organizations that have committed certain errors, active assistance and education should be provided. As for those confirmed to be controlled by reactionaries, efforts should be made to divide and win over their members, isolate the most vicious leaders, and persuade the misled masses. Any decision to publicly declare an organization as reactionary and ban it must be approved by the central authorities.


(4) Those who previously attacked military institutions—regardless of whether they were on the left, center, or right—shall not be held accountable. Only particularly egregious right-wing ringleaders who have already been identified should face consequences, but the scope of such measures should be kept as narrow as possible. It is not permissible to categorize people as left, center, or right solely on the basis of whether they had ever attacked military organs.


(5) The appropriate approach toward larger mass organizations should be determined through thorough on-site investigation and class analysis. Before taking any major action, reports must be submitted to both the Central Cultural Revolution Group and the All-Army Cultural Revolution Group for instructions.


(6) Under no circumstances are mass “confession” campaigns to be organized. Nor should the masses be compelled to write self-criticisms. Any self-initiated self-critiques should be returned to their authors. For those members of the masses who have long remained unenlightened and continue to hold incorrect views, do not rush them to admit their mistakes, but rather grant them time to educate themselves through struggle. Physical punishment and its disguised forms are strictly prohibited—for example, making someone wear a tall hat, hang a black plaque, parade them through the streets, or force them to kneel, and so forth.


(7) Within the armed forces, extensive education on the two-line struggle between the proletarian revolutionary line represented by Chairman Mao and the bourgeois counterrevolutionary line must be carried out. Study of Chairman Mao’s works should always be combined with the two-line struggle. A wide range of concrete materials exposing the counterrevolutionary line and the small clique within the Party who have taken the capitalist road to power should be collected and distributed to company-level units for educational purposes, enabling officers and soldiers to fully understand the reactionary nature of these forces, thoroughly criticize them, and eradicate their harmful influence.


(8) Cadres dispatched to local areas or tasked with supporting the left must receive detailed briefings on policy guidelines. Measures must be taken to prevent counterrevolutionaries of the Zhao Yongfu type, or individuals with extremely right-wing ideologies, from being placed in charge of supporting-the-left work.


(9) In carrying out supporting-the-left activities, one must learn to engage with the masses, trust them, rely on them, consult with them on all matters, and skillfully employ persuasive and educational methods, rather than resorting to crude, heavy-handed, or commandist approaches.


(10) Anyone found to have violated any of the above provisions must immediately rectify their actions and actively address the aftermath. Henceforth, strict adherence to each of these articles is required. The “Zhao Yongfu” mentioned in the order was, at the time, the deputy commander of the Qinghai Provincial Military District of the People’s Liberation Army and deputy head of the joint leading group overseeing supporting-the-left operations in Xining. In February 1967, this joint leading group, while engaged in supporting-the-left work, designated the Qinghai rebel organization known as the “August 18 Red Guard Combat Team” as a reactionary group and ordered its dissolution, establishing the principle of “if the enemy opens fire, we will return fire.” On February 23, armed forces were mobilized to seize control of the Qinghai Daily newspaper, which was then under the control of the “August 18” group, resulting in a serious incident in which troops opened fire. Zhao Yongfu was the organizer of this operation and the chief on-site commander.


On August 13, 1978, the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission forwarded the General Political Department’s “Conclusions and Handling Opinions Regarding Comrade Zhao Yongfu’s Errors,” which stated: “The problems that arose within the Qinghai Provincial Military District in February 1967 fall under the category of contradictions among the people”; “Although the consequences of the ‘February 23 Incident’ were severe, considering that Comrade Zhao Yongfu had been isolated and investigated for ten years and had come to recognize his mistakes, it was agreed to revoke all his Party and non-Party positions while maintaining his original rank and assigning him to a position equivalent to that of a divisional-level officer.”
[4]


In Lin Biao’s draft submitted on April 2, 1967, this sentence originally read: “Do not open fire on any groups that have not fired upon us—whether they are revolutionary, reactionary, or of unclear status—only political work may be conducted.”


Notes and revisions on Jiang Qing’s speech manuscript for the expanded meeting of the Central Military Commission [l]


Return it to Jiang Qing.


Okay, proceed accordingly.
(2(


I’ve read it; I’ve removed a bit.
(3(


(April 1967)
Mao Zedong


April 16th


The Chairman said that this article reflects the early stages of feudalism replacing slavery, specifically the redistribution of property and power within the landlord class. This kind of redistribution happens continuously; the saying “the blessings of a noble family last for five generations before they are exhausted” captures precisely this idea. We do not represent the exploiting classes,