The armed self-defense of Taiwan’s people is therefore forced, necessary, just, and correct. Taiwan’s autonomy movement will certainly not stop until its objectives are achieved. Deception and suppression will only spark the Taiwan compatriots’ greater indignation.
To demand autonomy requires armed struggle—this is true not only for Taiwan’s experience but also for liberated areas. The Chinese Communist Party’s twenty-plus years of struggle included local autonomy as one objective. Through these twenty-plus years of struggle, we’ve accumulated rich experience in pursuing autonomy to contribute to all Chinese people and Taiwan compatriots as reference.
We tell Taiwan compatriots: Your peaceful methods toward autonomy, and your armed self-defense measures under Chiang Kai-shek’s armed attacks, we completely sympathize with. Your struggle is our struggle, your victory is our victory. Liberated area military and civilians will definitely support you through our own struggle, helping you.
We offer Taiwan compatriots the following experience so the Taiwan autonomy movement reaches victorious objectives.
First, once armed struggle begins, oppose compromise and betrayal. Know that compromising and surrendering to fascist Chiang Kai-shek will result in Taiwan compatriots facing Chiang’s most brutal bloodbath. Any senior leaders advocating compromise are traitors to Taiwan compatriots and should be firmly purged and expelled. As long as firmly opposing compromise and betrayal, persisting onward, Taiwan’s autonomy movement will certainly achieve victory.
Second, the 32-point Platform passed by the Settlement Committee is good and should be firmly pursued. Seizing Chiang’s government property for autonomy movement funding and establishing democratic administrative bureaus as initial autonomy organs are correct. Beyond this, immediately establish military bureaus organizing armed Taiwan people’s autonomy forces, arming extensive laboring classes and directing these forces toward self-defense and autonomy struggles. Since Chiang Kai-shek is determined to launch larger armed attacks on Taiwan compatriots, armed struggle becomes extremely important, requiring rapid military bureau establishment and organized basic regular autonomy forces under most loyal, resolute, capable revolutionary leaders.
Third, immediately work to satisfy poor people’s economic demands. In cities distribute Japanese houses and Chiang family property to workers and farmers, organizing worker unions and worker patrol teams, organizing urban poor groups and their armed forces. In countryside satisfy farmer economic demands like rent and interest reduction, land reform, and organize farmers. Satisfying impoverished masses’ demands and organizing them gives autonomy movements true strength, autonomy programs truly realized—actually protecting all classes’ interests. If not done, using “protecting all classes’ interests” as excuse obstructing impoverished masses’ mobilization, the movement lacks strength and faces possible failure, unable to protect all classes’ interests, fundamentally betraying all Taiwan compatriots’ interests.
Fourth, autonomy movement victory requires strong political organizations leading, capable of unyielding struggle against autonomy movement enemies and identifying and purging enemies’ moles within the movement. Taiwan autonomy movement participants—each faction, group and individual—should unite in lines firmly fighting for autonomy. All factions in this line should mutually unite, mutually help, achieving individual development, making this common line the autonomy movement’s strong core. This line should openly guide autonomy movements preventing leadership bodies from compromiser sabotage or reactionary mole usurpation. Constantly remain vigilant—autonomy movement internal betrayal is more vicious than external enemies.
Fifth, immediately train massive cadre numbers dispatching to various localities, to cities and countryside leading armed forces, political work, mass movements and economic work. The more trained and faster dispatched widely, the better. Taiwan people’s cultural level is relatively high—a favorable condition for training many cadres initially from impoverished classes.
Sixth, Chiang Kai-shek’s approach to Taiwan autonomy movements is savage suppression. Soon the movement’s center will inevitably shift from big cities to small cities and countryside. Rapidly dispatch important leaders and massive cadres to areas beyond Chiang’s military reach, establishing autonomy movement base areas, sending seized materials there and appropriately decentralizing, building long-term financial-economic foundations supporting autonomy movements, organizing and arming local people, firmly taking steps satisfying impoverished area people’s economic demands. Big cities and vicinities will inevitably become battlefields after Chiang’s forces arrive—work there should account for this.
China’s liberated areas possess countless experiences to offer Taiwan compatriots. The above points are currently most important for Taiwan compatriots. Taiwan autonomy movements will undoubtedly undergo many twists and turns, but victory is certain, coming soon. Chiang Kai-shek determined armed attacks against Taiwan autonomy movements, but his troop strength is already severely depleted. The two divisions now being transferred to Taiwan were originally stationed there before being transferred to the civil war. One twenty-division fought in the Xuzhou battlefield where since late December Chiang’s forces had lost five entire divisions (or armies) and sixteen complete brigades (or divisions), severely feeling troop shortages; a twenty-first division has weak combat strength with its new seven-brigade completely annihilated. Two divisions total only 38,000 people. As long as Taiwan compatriots maintain resolute positions, these forces cannot suppress Taiwan-wide autonomy movements burning with passion. Chiang Kai-shek transferring additional forces to Taiwan is already impossible. Conversely, if autonomy and democracy movements occur everywhere in Chiang-controlled areas and liberation battlefields achieve more victories, Chiang’s troop strength faces greater shortage, reducing pressure on Taiwan compatriots.
Therefore, Taiwan compatriots’ autonomy movement will certainly achieve victory soon. The Chinese Communist Party warmly praises Taiwan compatriots’ heroic struggle, praying for Taiwan compatriots’ glorious victory!
[March 19, Year 36 of Republic of China — People’s Daily Editorial]
Internal Editor Note: The Communists promised government decentralization—how’d it become single-party monopoly?