Internal Document of the Domestic Security Department of the Public Security Bureau (Part III)

The Domestic Security Department ??????????is a branch of the police force within the Ministry of Public Security, specializing in collecting intelligence, infiltrating and dealing with political dissidents, human rights activists, petitioners, religious groups as well as “subversive” activities in the cultural, educational and economics domains. It is a massive, secretive and omnipotent security apparatus within the giant police machine of the PRC. [Read more about the Domestic Security Department, or DSD, here.]

The following internal document, a paper written by a local Domestic Security Officer from Shaoxing city, Zhejiang Province, was leaked into Chinese cyberspace recently, and reveals many details about how this secretive police force works day-to day at the local level to control Chinese society. The original passage is excerpted from a book entitled Collected Essays on Domestic Security that is circulated internally within the Domestic Security Department (DSD). CDT translated the selected text here; thanks to the translator who wishes to remain anonymous. [This is Part III of III. Part I and II are here and here.]

III. Using the “Three Improves” as a vehicle to expand the work with the masses

The present stage: Inadequate legal support (omitted)

A. By improving the ability of the leaders, refine the art of command and coordination

In the process of implementing ground level foundational work, we have evaluated our work by the standard of “Have we used a comprehensive approach in working with the masses?” A capable fellow at the county level DSD introduced the work standard of “Six Major Meetings.” (omitted)

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B. Improving gathering capabilities as a starting point to extend the intelligence information [gathering] apparatus

[We have] placed an emphasis on the type of intelligence information and the method of collecting intelligence information. This, along with a great amount of practical experience has allowed us to begin to form an intelligence gathering network that is close to the masses, forward-looking, able to detect and warn, and is able to meet the actual needs of the current conflict as well as the practical needs of our locality. As for the type of intelligence gathered, we have compiled the approaches of Shaoxing County, Shengzhou City, Yucheng district, etc. [We call this compiled approach] “Especially care for the masses, especially pay attention to the government, and especially be wary of our enemies.” [This approach involves] implementing proactive intelligence gathering directed towards areas, departments, regions, groups of people, and organizations that are of special interest. In the last three years, through the proactive intelligence gathering of two levels of the DSD within our city, we have received more than 270 pieces of intelligence on events that affect social and political stability and on large-scale mass incidents. Through early detection and punishment as well as through the functioning of mechanisms to work with the masses, 107 mass incidents were dissolved or stopped. As for the concrete types and methods of collecting intelligence information, we have built upon the foundation of the traditional methods in which police stations or secret forces would report information up, and embraced the “Four Diligents”—diligently visiting and interviewing, diligently examining, diligently looking into things, and diligently feeling things out. [We have] put the masses in their rightful role as the most important, the most direct and the most pure source of intelligence information. We have created “The Ten Methods” of getting intelligence directly from the people. The methods include; “gathering intelligence by visits and interviews, gathering intelligence by reading documents, gathering intelligence by drawing close [to people], gathering intelligence by exchange, gathering intelligence by fishing, gathering intelligence by hosting, gathering intelligence by using the media, gathering intelligence by using the internet, gathering intelligence by assignment, reverse intelligence gathering, etc.” These “Ten Methods” have greatly extended the DSD’s intelligence gathering apparatus and improved detection and warning. They have expanded the breadth and depth of intelligence information and provided effective channels.

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C. Building upon the foundation of improving police officer’s individual abilities, realize the effectiveness of working with the people.

The DSD departments, as the principal departments in charge of preserving social and political stability, need to, in their day-to-day work, establish intimate contacts with the masses, and engage in face to face work with the masses. The DSD police not only need to understand policy, law, and technical skills, they also need to possess a certain amount of public relations skills, as well as an ability to work with the masses. In the last several years, we have used a number of methods to actively encourage the ground level DSD police to boldly find solutions and innovate, use methods that are suited to local conditions, and explore and implement methods of working with the masses that are effective in practice. These concrete work methods are carried forth both by ground level DSD leaders who direct and coordinate the work, as well as by police officers in one-on-one settings. The scope of the work encompasses DSD surveillance, control, punishment, intelligence gathering, etc. For example, the heroic example of level two [official] Zhang Qingchao in building and using secret forces in which “Six Rules on Establishing Intelligence” and “Six Rules on Using Intelligence” were used; Shaoxing County DSD’s method of working with the masses directed at controlling key groups of people entitled “three dispersals, three inspections”; Zhuji city’s method of control which relies on the masses and is directed at people of interest entitled, “protect the line, surround the pieces, surround the village”; Shengzhou City’s work with the masses in controlling key strategic positions entitled, “Three Reliances, Six Interrogates,” etc., etc. Through training, mutual exchanges of information, live demonstrations, and other methods, we have continually condensed, improved, and vigorously pushed forward those methods which originate from the ground level, and come from the front line of working with the masses.

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Image source: fjgat.gov.cn, DSD police officers in Hanjiang regional Public Security Bureau, Putian city, Fujian Province.