Chapter 72 Policy on the treatment of anti-communist prisoners[1]

(October 18, 1940) Regarding the treatment of anti-communist prisoners, any domestic anti-communist faction attacking and capturing captive officers, detectives, secret agents, and traitors, no matter how reactionary and heinous they are, are not allowed to be killed in principle.This policy is the best way to isolate and disintegrate the anti-communist faction, and it should be widely understood by the entire party and army from top to bottom.The treatment method is that all reactionaries and useless personnel will be given preferential treatment and released, and all soldiers and useful personnel who can join our army will be taken in. No insults (such as beating and scolding, writing repentance letters, etc.) or revenge are allowed.If there are individual elements who are critically related and must be executed, they must be approved by the organs above the division or equivalent to the division in the army, the party sub-bureau and the district party committee or above, or the highest political authority in each base area. Authorization to kill.Regarding the detailed regulations on this matter, the central government has issued a separate notice, and all localities will implement this general regulation first.

Central Secretariat October 18, 1940 Published according to Mao Zedong's manuscript. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] This telegram was sent to the North China Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Central China Bureau, the Northwest Bureau, the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region and other local radio stations.