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• A Student’s Experience of Being Invited to “Drink Tea”

  

  The following blog post was written by blogger Caomin, who says he is a college student in the interior of China. According to him, it is a transcript of a conversation between him and an officer of the Domestic Security Department (DSD) who invited him to “drink tea,” or come in for questioning. The post has been circulating widely online and his blog on Sina has since been closed. Translated by CDT:

  A Student’s Experience of Being Invited to “Drink Tea”

  Author: Caomin (1)

  Starting yesterday (May 10th), my current advisor repeatedly started calling me. Because I was out on the road, I missed a lot of her calls; finally I picked up. She said that there were some details that I hadn’t attended to which may affect my receiving a diploma. She asked if I could rush back. So I ended up taking a bus from a long ways away back to school. My advisor again called me several times. Finally, she informed me that I was to come to her office today in the afternoon (May 11th). I had never felt that she was so “concerned” for me before. This out-of-blue “care and concern” made me feel a bit uneasy but also caused me to be quite polite in response. However, I didn’t have any other sort of misgivings.

  In the afternoon (of May 11), I hurried over to her office at the appointed time. I knocked, and as the door opened, there was no sign of my advisor. From the uniforms they were wearing I could tell that those waiting for me were from the Domestic Security Department (DSD) (2). I instantly felt as one does when confronting a bad omen. Even though I had known that this day would come sooner or later, I still wondered if the time wasn’t still a bit too early. I had a complicated emotion as two distinct feelings intermingled—a sense of bitterness, and the feeling of an unsettled conscience.

  I was a bit nervous. I worried that I would be carried off in a police car. I had this sort of feeling like the heavens were crashing down. They seemed to read the nervous expression written on my face and tried to comfort me, telling me not to be nervous. They showed a lot of “care and concern” towards me. The school’s Party committee secretary was constantly pouring tea for me to drink. In a country so blinded by greed and in a country that treats people so indifferently, I’ve always been treated with disdain and overbearing bossiness by the powerful and self-righteous. After I was given such “special treatment” by someone with power I felt a bit overwhelmed. It was like in terms of character and dignity they were treating me as their “equals.” “Don’t be nervous. We’re basically just here today to have a conversation with you.” And this is how our “conversation” began. At the time it seemed extremely likely that this might be my “final class” at the school and perhaps in my academic career.

  DSD: Where do you write your blog? Isn’t it true that you’ve written articles about the World Expo? What kind of articles?

  Me: I write my blog on Sina.com. I wrote about the World Expo’s Ten Great Sins. Maybe it’s because I’m not famous like Han Han (3) that you’ve sought me out. I’ve actually been pretty influenced by Han Han and have read a lot of his novels (the National Treasure [pun for DSD] interrupted and said, “like Triple Door”). Yes, and his other novels and blog posts. I’ve always liked him, which is probably not a good thing for me today.

  DSD: Well, Han Han is Han Han. What are your views about the World Expo?

  Me: I’m not against the Expo itself. What I am against is the politicization of the Expo. The World Expo as a cultural and technological exhibition held in China can enlighten and broaden the horizons of those who visit. It also provides a platform to promote understanding and mutual interaction between the countries of the world. However, there is no need for the wide-scale propaganda spin that is being produced and there is no need for the excessive rules governing the lives of those who live in the city. It shouldn’t be approached as some sort of political mission. Last year when Chicago applied to host the 2016 Olympics, the proportion of those who were supportive was quite low. Other than this, Chicago from a number of perspectives was the best [place to host the Olympics]. However, I didn’t see because of this, US government agencies going out and trying to “educate” Chicago residents or threatening them if they didn’t support the city’s bid for the Olympics. I also have not seen the Shanghai Expo’s much touted slogans actually put into practice, slogans such as, “low-carbon Expo,” “going green,” “host the Expo with thrift,” “host the Expo with clean government,” and “harmonious Expo,” etc.

  I’ve also been to Pudong [the area of Shanghai where the Expo is held]. It is not like how in Japan and other countries where the World Expo was held in the suburbs near forested areas (4). Furthermore, the fireworks set off on both sides of the Huangpu River were more than were set off during the Beijing Olympics. Right now in a lot of countries, the World Expo is just chicken ribs [something of little value]. At a time when people don’t even have any basic health care safeguards and when there is no unemployment aid, I simply don’t know how meaningful it is to ordinary people to have all this money spent on this kind of a thing,especially for the many people whose homes were forcibly demolished to make way for the Expo and who received very little compensation. Most of them decided to just swallow their anger but some of them chose to take the course of rights defense [weiquan]. However, those who chose this course were beaten down at every turn. Some are now destitute and homeless. Shouldn’t the government have some responsibility here? Once the World Expo comes to a close, the government is going to sell the land and make money. For many people [whose homes were taken] this an additional sort of exploitation.

  DSD: The World Expo is a huge sign of our country’s rise. It should make us proud. How do you know about all these things that you just spoke of?

  Me: I guess from the overseas media like BBC [British Broadcasting Corporation], VOA [Voice of America], RFI [Radio France International], DW [Duowei, Chinese Media Net], RFA [Radio Free Asia], and The New York Times. Also from Chinese websites that can be opened from within the country like the Singapore zaobao.com. I’ve never trusted the domestic media. After all, at least the Western media is independent and this can ensure their credibility. This is also an important reason why the Western media has become the global media for many people.

  DSD: So your English is pretty good then? I also frequently read several overseas news websites. A lot of things they write are not very credible, and they seem to really like to report on negative things that are going on in China. We should really read more things about how our country is powerful and dynamic.

  Me: My English is only average. I can only say that if I’m familiar with the basic background of the article that I can only understand from the English the basic idea of the article. News media should naturally be independent. Its purpose is to monitor what goes on in society. It shouldn’t be like how it is in China where the media is used as a propaganda tool. Our society needs to progress. In order to progress it must reveal and face squarely the negative aspects of our society and should not try to hide them or manufacture some kind of phony “harmonious-ness.” Of course the Western media is more objective. At times they also praise China, like how they praised the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. This is also something that the Chinese government is happy to hear.

  DSD: Their media also has its own positions on issues which are not very objective.

  Me: Everyone has their own positions and values in relation to certain issues; however, this does not mean that they can’t be objective. I think that enough free speech can guarantee the objectivity of the news media.

  DSD: Our country also has free speech; however, it is not an absolute freedom of speech. You cannot defame others, you cannot interfere with others’ freedoms, you cannot leak state secrets (5).

  Me: I’ve never thought that there is such a thing as absolute freedom. Freedom refers to the freedom that underlies the system of constitutional governance. Of course you can’t interfere with other peoples’ freedom, or attack or insult entities capable of having a personality and capable of acting. However, a government or a president are not such entities. In other words, I can stand in front of the White House and loudly curse the American government, I can get on television and openly criticize the government. Nonetheless, even if my attacks on the government are not truthful, I should still not have to shoulder any legal responsibility. As for the leaking of state secrets, unless I belong to a work unit where I have signed an agreement to keep information secret, then only in that circumstance should I have to bear legal responsibility for leaking state secrets. There should be a firm procedure for [prosecuting cases of] leaking state secrets. It is not an extremely broad concept. Ordinary citizens have no way of knowing national secrets. Even if they were to know, it would be because the government or a person or work unit which had signed a secrecy agreement had first leaked the secret. In that case those who had signed the secrecy agreement should be the ones held responsible. The government should be responsible to the people for these lapses; ordinary citizens do not have the so-called duty to protect state secrets. It is even more inappropriate for this [so-called duty] to be used as a method of inflicting unnecessary repression upon ordinary citizens.

  DSD: Haven’t you noticed how much [freedom of] speech has improved these last years? Compared with ten years ago, there are a lot of things that the media can write about; for example, the forcible evictions that you mentioned. The Internet is also open.

  Me: The reason the media can now write about these things to a large degree is because of competition from the Internet. There are also some responsible media companies who are testing the waters to see what the [government’s] bottom line is. Employees [of media companies] have to consider the market because people don’t like to hear too many things that are just fluff. It’s only because a number of things are first exposed on the Internet that the traditional media covers these things so as to “guide public opinion.” Compared with before, this can be considered a type of progress, albeit involuntary. The government cannot completely close off the Internet because it must also consider commercial interests. The government cannot completely shut people up and at the same take care of its commercial interests—it cannot accomplish both. The Google incident is a great example of this.

  DSD: Tell me more about the Google incident.

  Me: It’s because they couldn’t stand dealing China’s Byzantine and opaque Internet censorship system. The last straw was that the Gmail accounts of various people active in rights defense work were hacked into, and Google’s password system was violated. Google.cn stood in contradiction to Google’s values.

  DSD: What you said are things that Google has claimed. How can you just believe what they said is true?

  Me: I feel that some facts are just laid out before one’s eyes. There’s also no way I can go out and investigate this. Compared with some domestic internet companies, I’ve always been more inclined to trust Google. I admire the service it provides. Without a strong reputation there’s no way it could have become such a global company.

  DSD: Did you know that the US Department of Homeland Security monitors the telephone calls and Internet activities [of people] within the entire country? Americans are actually not free. You’ve never been to America; there’s no way you could have sensed this. A lot of things [in America] are in conflict with the Constitution.

  Me: I’m really not sure about this. Even though I’ve seen some domestic news media reports to this effect, how reliable really is the domestic news media? From other news media I have never heard that Americans’ entire lives are monitored. People in China who have been to America have never said this kind of thing. America is an open, rule-of-law country. Even if there is monitoring that occurs, I believe that it only occurs in such a way that it does not violate citizen’s legal rights; for example [it may be used] in the case of terrorists.

  DSD: Have you heard about the recent Square bomb attack incident? How did they detect that?

  Me: I’ve heard about this. In Times Square there was a peddler who discovered a suspicious vehicle and reported it to the police.

  DSD: So how was America able to arrest the guy so quickly? America has about 200 million people (I interjected, “300 million”). American’s information is all controlled by the state.

  Me: That Pakistani-American man was arrested at the airport as he was going through security to catch a flight to Dubai. This illustrates the high level of effectiveness of America’s executive and judicial branches. Just because American’s information is recorded does not mean that American’s privacy is violated. This embodies American’s [respect for] human dignity. The state has a duty to protect confidentiality; [national] security is similarly important. America expresses ample respect to criminal suspects.

  DSD: America is so developed because America is pluralistic. But you just look at things from the overseas’ perspective, choosing to hear the worst. As we’ve been talking, there have been times when you’ve interrupted us. It’s as though you don’t like listening to others’ opinions. You’re too narrow-minded. However, our country has a big population; this is one of the realities of our country.

  Me: It’s true that the reason America is so developed is because it has a pluralistic system. However, China has a monolithic system—that’s the reason why I’m here today. I’m not narrow-minded. I have my own basic sense of right and wrong; it’s China that often lacks a sense of right and wrong. I hope that any problem can be discussed openly. I have a lot of respect for everyone’s rights to express themselves no matter what position they hold or what ideas or opinions they have. The information I get is also pluralistic. It’s not like I only hear voices of criticism. I’m actually pretty fond of Wen Jiabao, but I don’t really like Hu Jintao.

  DSD: So you also like Premier Wen?

  Me: I think that within the Communist Party Wen Jiabao is an exception. He does not form cliques and he quotes a lot of wise things that inspired people have said. Let’s not talk about his family now (6); in the world of the Communist Party, there’s already enough of this.

  DSD: You should know that many of the comments made online are untrue. Not long ago there was this rumor on the Internet that East Lake (Donghu) in Wuhan was going to be partially filled in to create a hotel. This thing kept on spreading and had a really negative effect.

  Me: I heard about this. If that’s the case, then doesn’t the government have a big responsibility here? The government is used to working in darkness. Without an open government then of course there will be occasional rumors. If there were an open government then it could easily dispel any rumors that might be spread.

  DSD: Are there many people you associate with who think the way you do?

  Me: Almost no one. Maybe it’s because everyone has received this kind of education growing up where there’s only one right answer, where your essays are required to show “correct thinking,” and things like that. [This style of education] strangles peoples’ ability to think and independently analyze things. I really oppose China’s current educational system. I hope that [people] can have real civic education classes and not this system of Party style curriculum where the university administration controls everything.

  DSD: You just mentioned Civic Education. You should see that the key [to our Civic Education curriculum] is our good political system. This is something that cannot be changed.

  Me: I actually feel like a lot of China’s problems are directly caused by this political system. I know that America also has corruption issues.This is because of human nature. But, America’s corruption is a lot different than China’s corruption. America has a system that limits corruption, whereas in China almost all officials are corrupt; the numbers are enormous.

  DSD: Let’s not talk about this corruption issue. You should notice how our country is continually getting stronger, but instead your thinking is too murky; you only focus on the negative, choosing to hear the worst. You should spend more time focusing on the general direction the country is heading.

  Me: I think that what I have noticed is part of the general direction the country is heading. Our publications and our media are filled with this syrupy, effusive praise for the government. This society needs more voices of criticism to spur society into progressing. I hope that our nation can be a free and open nation like America, one that can accommodate all kinds of different voices.

  DSD: In these recent years our country has continually been improving—this is the general direction. Have you sensed the progress the nation has made these recent years?

  Me: I haven’t really had this sense. I get the sense more that things are going backwards.

  DSD: Then where do think the problems are?

  Me: In recent years there has been a series of violent eviction cases. The government, in order to make money by selling property, uses its power, in coordination with the mafia, to steal people’s homes. There is very little compensation given. [As a result], many people petition higher levels of government (shangfang) but end up themselves in prison for their efforts. Also, environmental pollution problems and all kinds of [food and product] safety issues have become more and more serious. Basic social guarantees are lacking; a lot of people get sick and die while waiting [for medical care]. Laborers’ rights are not protected. There is rapid inflation, but incomes are not rising. There is cronyism between business and government which squeezes out privately owned enterprises. Finally businesses transfer these pressures to labor. In other words, the country is improving while the lives of the people are getting worse. There are a lot, a lot of problems.

  DSD: These things you’ve talked about are problems faced by the people. These problems really do exist, but aren’t we also improving? For example, this problem of forcible evictions is being addressed by new laws that will prevent violent evictions.

  Me: I don’t believe that this problem can be solved by new legislation. As long as the nature of the government remains the same, then this type of problem will be difficult to resolve.

  DSD: Well then tell us, in which ways has our country made progress?

  Me: I guess there has been progress: for example, China gained the right to host the Olympics and the World Expo, Beijing’s air quality has improved, the economy is continually expanding, also internationally China has established all those Confucius Institutes that are engaging in cultural exchanges. In sum, there have been some improvements economically and culturally. (I’m not really sure if this counts as “progress;” they asked so this is how I answered.)

  DSD: What you have said is not fully complete. More of our progress has had to do with the fact that our nation’s political system is more and more refined. The Party and the nation have resolved a number of problems. We have received more and more praise from the international community; our position has become higher.

  Me: I really don’t have this same strong feeling about this that you do. Maybe it’s because I’m just a lower level member of society that’s floating outside the system and am not like you, who live inside the system and can personally experience this kind of “progress.” Of course I know that you’ve been sent here by your superiors.

  DSD: This isn’t an issue about being inside or outside the system. You look at things in too dim a light. You should look at problems more objectively and rationally.

  Me: I feel like I’ve always been objective and rational. I don’t make things up just for the sake of having something to criticize. I’m really passionate about the truth. But maybe in the future I should be even more objective and rational.

  DSD: I have three requests for you that I hope you’ll remember. 1) Don’t write these kinds of articles again. 2) When looking at issues you must be objective, rational, accurate and comprehensive. 3) We hope that you will find a good job. Now you should worry about making a living; there are some things that you don’t need to worry about.

  Me: I’ll remember.

  DSD: When you enter society you’ll discover that there are a lot of problems that need to be resolved. Your way of thinking will slowly change and mature.

  Me: When I enter society I’m sure I’ll discover that Chinese society is much darker than what I have seen on campus. I suppose as far as maturity goes, I’ll become more worldly. I don’t know if I’ll be able to persist in my principles and values.

  DSD: I’ve also experienced the same stage you’re going through. At the time I was even more radical than you. It’s just like how when you grow up and look back at some things you did as a kid, you think how immature those things were. Don’t always carry around the flag of democracy and human rights thinking that you occupy some kind of [moral] high ground, but all the time are unwilling to hear what other people have to say.

  Me: Everyone’s experiences and values are different. I don’t have this same strong feeling. Maybe I’ll change, but I always hope our society can be more and more free and open. I hope that I can make some contribution here. I hope even more that as an individual I can receive an equal measure of respect.

  DSD: If you have any problems later you can always visit with this [Party] secretary here.

  Me: I don’t have much longer at this school. It’s probably not necessary.

  DSD: Remember what we’ve said. You can go now.

  Me: Thanks.

  (1) Caomin means “common person.”

  (2) The DSD（国内安全保护支队）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. Read more about the DSD via CDT here.

  (3) Han Han is China’s most widely read blogger. He was recently voted as one of Time Magazines 100 most Influential People of 2010.

  (4) The area where the Expo is held in Shanghai, along both sides of the Huangpu River, is not far from the center of the city and not far from the Bund, the main tourist attraction in Shanghai. Because the Expo site is along the river and near the heart of the city, the real estate is extremely valuable.

  (5) China’s state secrets law has been criticized for the number of things classified as state secrets (for example, the total number of laid-off workers in state-owned enterprises; data on water and solid waste pollution, etc) and because the state secrets law can be used as a pretext for punishing people for other behavior. Zhao Yan, a muckraking journalist employed as a researcher for the New York Times, was initially charged under the state secrets law for disclosing the fact that Jiang Zemin was to retire.

  (6) This reference to Wen Jiabao’s family probably refers to allegations that his wife, son, and son-in-law have prospered greatly from Premier Wen’s official position. See, for example, here, or here (Chinese).

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  • May 22, 2010 11:00 PM

• Domestic Security Department: Eliminating Hot Button Issues on a Local Level (Part 2 of 2)

  

  The Domestic Security Department （国内安全保护支队）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 document includes a report from a DSD branch in Inner Mongolia and provides details about how the DSD offices operate on the local level. Part 1 can be read here. Translated by CDT:

  (4) (Inner Mongolia) Noteworthy Deeds of the Public Security Bureau Domestic Security Department (DSD) Corps Captain

  

  …one person whom the Deputy Minister of the State Ministry of Public Security mentioned specifically to be provided with police bodyguards is named ***. He is forty-six years old, a member of the Chinese Communist Party, and is currently the Captain of the *** Region Public Security Bureau (PSB) Domestic Security Department (DSD).

  The DSD was formerly called the Political Security Police. Its main work responsibility is to protect national security, strike down evil cults, search out and understand information relating to [forces] that oppose the government and [oppose] society, and provide leaders at every level with the basis upon which to make well-informed decisions, so as to protect social and political stability.

  In 1982, Comrade *** began participating in the PSB Political Security Police. In April 1999, because of his solid work and strong professional and organizational abilities, *** was appointed as Corps Captain when the *** Region PSB organized the Domestic Security Department Corps. From the time he became Corps Captain, he led the DSD Corps Police in conducting a thorough investigation of evil cultists that existed throughout the region.

  In order to stay on the offensive at all times in the battle against the enemy, he drafted and established the *** Region PSB Intelligence Information Work System, organized a village, county, and region three-tiered intelligence network, established a corps of over 400 informants, expanded the channels of receiving intelligence, and increased the timeliness and usefulness of information received.

  In only three months, [his] investigation was able to provide a detailed grasp of the number of evil cultists within the region, their distribution and their activities. [This investigation] provided a great foundation upon which to base the subsequent work of severely striking down and punishing the evil cults. In the last several years, the DSD Corps has altogether discovered and reported 3,800 items of information concerning [forces that] oppose the government and society. Of these, 2,500 have been used by relevant departments within the central government, all levels of Party committees, the government, and higher level PSB organs.

  The intelligence work of [*** Region’s DSD] has for the last seven consecutive years been the best in the entire city. With regard to the work of [gathering] intelligence and performing investigation and research, he creatively proposed the work model known as “The Three Extensions.” This work model gained the full approval of relevant leaders within the provincial level PSB and has been spread throughout the entire [Inner Mongolia Autonomous] Region. Since 1999, their intelligence work, striking down of evil cults, and establishment of archives have all been amply developed. For seven consecutive years they achieved “zero errors” in their handling of cases, and therefore for seven consecutive years the City PSB has awarded them a group third-degree merit citation.

  During these seven years, [the *** Region DSD] uncovered 415 cases of evil cults, arrested 628 people involved, destroyed 265 organizations such as “The Disciple’s Society,” and “Eastern Lightning,” blocked the dissemination of evil cults, eliminated 102 secret meeting places, and destroyed 32 gangs. Moreover, [the *** Region DSD] solved over ten relatively influential cases involving evil cults such as the May 26th case and the August 25th case. [In so doing, the *** Region DSD] protected social stability by vigorously striking down all manner of evil cult organizations and illegal criminal activities.

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  • April 21, 2010 3:46 AM

• Domestic Security Department: Eliminating Hot Button Issues on a Local Level (Part 1 of 2)

  

  The Domestic Security Department （国内安全保护支队）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 documents include reports from three DSD branches at local PSBs in Yunnan and Sichuan and provides details about how the DSD offices operate on the local level. Translated by CDT:

  
  (1) (Yunnan Province) Domestic Security Department (DSD) Intensifies its “Large Interview Program” to Diligently Detect and Eliminate Factors that Influence Social and Political Stability in Our Area
  Updated on: February 11, 2010 at 11:31 PM
  Search Number: 533300-015-
  Title: Domestic Security Department (DSD) Intensifies its “Large Interview Program” to Diligently Detect and Eliminate Factors that Influence Social and Political Stability in Our Area

  Since January, Nujiangzhou Public Security Bureau Domestic Security Department (DSD) conducted interviews with a total of three companies and over one hundred people from among the masses. [The DSD] detected and eliminated eleven hot button issues that affected our region’s social and political stability. These issues involved 2,694 people. (Specifically, there were three incidents involving thirty people that dealt with the late payment of migrant workers’ wages, one incident involving 130 people that dealt with environmental pollution, and three incidents involving 50 people that dealt with disputes over forests, land, and grazing land. The other four incidents involved 2,484 people.)

  In order to detect and eliminate hot button issues, two early warning systems were created, eight observers were established, eight contact people were established, and fourteen informants were established. There were seven issues that were settled, and there are four issues that the relevant departments are currently working to resolve (including three forestland issues and one environmental pollution issue).

  (2) (Yunnan Province) Wenshan County Public Security Bureau Domestic Security Department Achieves Initial Successes
  Search Number: 532621-010689-20091231-0002
  Promulgating Agency: Wenshan County Public Security Bureau (PSB)
  Date of Release: December 31, 2009
  Title: Wenshan County Public Security Bureau Domestic Security Department Achieves Initial Successes

  The year 2009 was the first year in which the Wenshan County Public Security Bureau (PSB) comprehensively carried out the work of having police stations participate in Domestic Security Department (DSD) work.

  In this first year, each police station [under the] Wenshan County PSB achieved initial success in their involvement with domestic security work and achieved definite results by following the deployment arrangements of the PSB. [These initial successes were also achieved] through the combined efforts of the DSD and each police station, as well as through the efforts of DSD full-time cadres and branch station leaders, the correct guidance of the County Party Committee, and the guiding help of higher ranking DSD departments.

  So far this year, the DSD has actively organized and gathered eighteen full-time DSD cadres from eighteen police stations as well as police station and branch station DSD leaders to attend unified professional DSD training. In addition, the town’s DSD captain and the leader of the County DSD personally presented lectures [at the training].

  Concurrently, the “Handbook on Wenshan County Public Security Bureau Police Station Domestic Security Department Work” was edited and published. The book was disseminated to each police station and each DSD full-time cadre within the entire Bureau. The publication and dissemination of the “Handbook” resolved ground level police departments’ and DSD full-time cadres’ questions concerning DSD work such as the following: how to perform the work, in what way should the work be done, and what kind of work should be done. [The “Handbook”] further standardized the approach of police stations within the entire county towards the tasks of accounting, information gathering and reporting, and controlling critical people and situations.

  In 2009, the entire county’s eighteen police stations altogether collected and reported 207 items of DSD intelligence. Forty-eight items were selected to be reported up, 120 items were specially reported, thirty-six people were listed to be monitored as DSD critical people and thirteen situations were listed to be monitored as DSD critical situations. In addition, eighty-nine DSD informants and ninety contact people were established.

  (3) (Sichuan) Meishan City, Dongpu District Public Security Branch Office

  
  1. Put Domestic Security Department (DSD) Work First in Protecting National Security and Social Stability

  The multi-channeled, multi-layered intelligence network that provides complete coverage of intelligence information is made up of the following: a first-rate DSD intelligence station created by a 70,000 RMB investment, a system of nearly one thousand informants, contact people and special intelligence personnel all organized around the motto “special intelligence personnel are the mainstay, informants and contact people are the support.” This intelligence network has had a major positive influence in protecting Dongpo’s social stability.

  In 2008 [Dongpo’s DSD] received first place in the citywide DSD professional tournament. It was ranked by the provincial level [DSD] as an all-province, level one Public Security DSD Corps.
  

  [to be continued]

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  • April 20, 2010 3:41 AM

• DSD Police Recruit and Maintain Informant Networks Among University Students

  

  In previous translations, CDT has revealed how Chinese political police, the Domestic Security Department or DSD, has recruited a vast network of intelligence agents to spy on Chinese citizen. Chinese netizens have now dug out and spread online documents from the DSD and university security departments over the past several years which reveal another component of this informant system, within Chinese universities. These documents are intended to be confidential and not readily available online but some universities apparently mistakenly left them in the public domain where clever netizens were able to search them out.

  Following is a summary of the DSD documents at Dezhou University in Shandong, followed by CDT’s translations of the documents:

  According to disclosures in official documents of the Security Department of Shandong’s Dezhou University, the University has, beginning in 2005, recruited Domestic Security Department (DSD) informants from among the University’s teachers and students.

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  • April 11, 2010 4:03 PM

• Student Blogger: A Brief Story About My “Tea” at School on June 4th of Last Year

  

  “Drinking Tea” (喝茶) is now a common vocabulary in online political discourse. It refers to the widespread practices by DSD police or other authorities to harass, intimidate and conduct information-gathering on citizens for their political activities. Although each such “Tea” session always comes with the warning to keep the conversation to oneself, more and more netizens have been sharing their “Drinking Tea” experiences; as a result, we can see that the government effort to control online speech goes way beyond technological filtering and deleting of content and blocking of foreign websites.

  » Read more
  • February 28, 2010 11:39 PM

• New Details of Chinese Secret Police Local Informants Paying System Revealed

  

  Fresh details surfaced about how a local Domestic Security Department (DSD) of Public Security built its informants network on the ground. CDT online investigation has obtained the following document, published on the news site of a local government, Tianba Town, Xuanwei City, Yunnan Province, on November 7, 2009.  The following translation is the full text of the article. For more on China’s Domestic Security Department (DSD) of Public Security and its local informants network building, please read CDT posts at here, here, here and here.

  The Domestic Security Department (DSD) Intelligence Processing System in Tianba Township Promotes a Harmonious and Stable Society

  Posted by: xwtbwgy
  Posted on: November 7, 2009
  Number of hits: 146

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  • February 23, 2010 9:10 AM

• Chinese Police Admit Enormous Number of Spies

  

  The Telegraph follows up on the Xinhua interview with a local police chief about the use of informants in police work:

  Experts said the number of spies in China’s major cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, and in more restive regions, such as Tibet and Xinjiang, was likely to be far higher. The number of spies in Kailu County, extrapolated nationwide, suggests China has at least 39 million informants, around three per cent of its population. By comparison, around 2.5 per cent of East Germans spied for the Stasi secret police under Communism.

  It is unclear whether all the informants in Kailu County were kept on the government payroll, but other Chinese cities have adopted a rewards system. More than 200,000 yuan (£18,730) was awarded in a single month in the southern city of Shenzhen to informants who offered 2,000 tips on criminal activity.

  Meanwhile, researchers at China Digital Times have translated leaked internal documents that spell out the role of China’s Domestic Security Department (DSD), the huge security operation that is dedicated to “preserving public harmony”.

  See also “How the Chinese state oppresses: a local police chief explains” from the Economist blog.

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  • February 9, 2010 11:33 AM

• Liu Xingchen (刘兴臣), County Police Chief: The “Three Ones” Model of Intelligence Gathering

  

  A recent translation by CDT of an internal document by a local officer of the Domestic Security Department (DSD) revealed some of the working methods and mechanisms of China’s secret police work at the ground level. That document helped illustrate how extensive the human surveillance and intelligence-gathering networks and activities are throughout the Chinese society, developed and controlled by the government security agencies.

  The following interview with a county police chief is another example that reveals critical details about government surveillance efforts. In particular, according to this Xinhua article, in a county of 400,000, there are 12,093 informants on the government payroll who are charged with gathering intelligence.

  This Xinhua article is entitled: Interview with Comrade Liu Xingchen, Assistant to the County Head of Kailu County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Party Committee Secretary of the Public Security Bureau, Director of the Public Security Bureau. Published on August 28, 2009, excerpts translated by CDT:

  Interviewee: Comrade Liu Xingchen (刘兴臣), Assistant to the County Head of Kailu County, Party Committee Secretary of the Public Security Bureau, Bureau Chief of the Public Security Bureau.
  Interviewer: Tang Jianquan (唐建权)

  Xinhua reporter: Director Liu, Hello! Kailu County is a large county with a population of 400,000. Police activities in the countryside are especially important. The Public Security Bureau’s (PSB’s) police activities in the countryside are leading the way in our region [Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region], and [the PSB] has created a new model of carrying out police activities in the countryside; this model is being spread throughout the entire city and even throughout the entire region [Inner Mongolia]. So, please tell us, what are the characteristics and results of Kailu county’s new model of police activities; in what ways is this new model new?

  Director Liu：In order to enhance capacity at the local level, and energize the ground level, our bureau has emphasized both to build larger and more powerful as well as more advanced and higher quality local police stations. Our bureau has reported to the County government and received a lot of support from the county Party Committee and government. We established a “financed by the government, managed by the Public Security Bureau” model, in which every village in the county has one police station, hires one assistant police staff, funded by the county government with an annual budget 1.4 million RMB. And this budget number is within the annual financial budget of the county government. So we have realized every village having a police station, and every village having an assistant police staff. Until now, we have established 283 police stations at the village level, and hired 289 assistant police staff.

  … The policing model of our Bureau is innovative because of the extensiveness of its range. Every village has a police station, all together 277, and there are another six police stations in the capital town of Kailu County. So we have a very sensitive intelligence network. The 289 village assistant police staff members are all from local villages, so they have the strength of familiarity with the people, locations, and the local situation. They can timely and accurately discover all sorts of information that might destabilize the society, and can effectively maintain stability at the village level. This is also an effective solution to the problem of police manpower, and strengthening the capacity of Public Security agencies in handling the current complex situation.

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  • February 7, 2010 11:02 PM

• Liang Jing (梁京): From Ruling by Rhetoric to Ruling by Secret Police

  

  Thanks to David Kelly, Professor of China Studies, China Research Centre, University of Technology Sydney, for translating the following opinion piece by political commentator Liang Jing:

  Liang Jing, From ruling by rhetoric to ruling by secret police*

  I was left rather shocked by the many stories in the current (21 January) issue of Nanfang Zhoumo [Southern Weekend] that reflect a prosperous China’s many long and short-term worries.

  Coverage of the disaster in Haiti was accompanied not only by “Haiti’s sad history”, but also by stories of Chinese illegal immigrants to the US via Haiti, dubbed “human snakes.” The experiences of the Haitian people and Chinese illegal immigrants are thought-provoking and show how the man-made disasters of greed and evil are the real reasons bringing about a hell on earth.

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  • February 5, 2010 9:44 PM

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

  

  The Domestic Security Department （国内安全保护支队）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)

  三， 以“三个提高”为载体，拓宽群众工作思路
  现阶段，受法律支撑不足，（略）

  （一） 以提高领导能力为龙头，优化指挥协调艺术
  在落实基层基础工作的过程中，我们以“是否会做全方位的群众工作”为评判标准，对县级国保大队“一把手”提出了“六个会”的要求：（略）

  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.

  （二） 以提高收集能力为切入点，延伸情报信息触角

  以情报信息收集的方向，方式为重点，通过大量的实践，初步形成了具有比较明显的群众性，前瞻性，预警性特征，并符合现实斗争形势和本地实际需要的情报信息 网络格局。在收集的方向确定上，我们总结绍兴县，嵊州市，越城区等地的做法，把“群众高度关心的，政府高度关注的，敌人高度觊觎的”作为重点，在重点领 域，重点部位，重点区域，重点人群，重点组织实施主动型的情报信息收集工作。近三年中，我市两级国保部门通过主动性的收集，掌握到影响社会政治稳定和大规 模群体性事件的情报信息270多条，通过预警处置和群众工作机制的运行，消化和制止了群体性事件107起。在情报信息收集的具体方式方法上，在传统的基层 派出所报送和秘密力量反映的基础上，以“勤走访，勤询问，勤查看，勤排摸”的“四勤”工作方法，把群众作为情报信息最主要，最直接，最原始的渠道来源，创 建直接面向群众的“走访收集法，问卷收集法，贴靠收集法，交换收集法，钓鱼收集法，接待收集法，媒体收集法，网络收集法，布置收集法，逆向收集法”等“十 法”体系，大大延伸了国保部门预警性情报信息收集的触角，为拓展情报信息的广度，深度提供了有效途径。

  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.

  （三） 以提高民警个体能力为基础，发挥群众工作效能

  国保部门作为维护社会政治稳定的主要部门，在具体的工作中需要大量地接触群众并开展面对面的群众工作。国保民警不但要懂政策，懂法律，懂技术，也需要具备 一定的公关能力和群众工作技巧。近年来，我们通过多种形式，积极鼓励基层国保民警大胆摸索创新，因地制宜，探索实施了一些行之有效的群众工作方法。这些具 体工作方法既有基层国保大队领导指挥协调方面的，也有民警在一对一状态下的，范围涵盖了国保部门在侦查，控制，处置，收集等各个工作环节。如二级英模张庆超在物建，使用秘密力量上的“建情六条”和“用情六法”，绍兴县国保大队在重点人群控制中的“三疏三查”群众工作法，诸暨市依靠群众对重点人员实施的“保 线，包片，包村”控制法，嵊州市在重点阵地控制中的“三靠六问”群众工作法，等等。对于这些源于基层，来自一线的群众工作方法，我们通过拜师带徒，相互交 流，现场示范等多种方式不断予以总结提高和大力推广。

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

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  • January 28, 2010 8:03 PM

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

  

  The Domestic Security Department （国内安全保护支队）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 II of III. Part I is here.]

  B. Rely on ground-level organizations, implement defense and control mechanisms

  [We have worked to] implement on the ground level of the Party government organization the DSD’s work of putting in place measures to defend against and control those within the DSD’s scope. The DSD departments [have worked to achieve] through specialized guidance the actual ability of base-level organizations to effectively defend against and control people and events of special interest. In this regard the work of Zhuji city, origin of “the experience at Fengqiao”, is especially rich. Perhaps what is most striking is their system of “Four Firsts, Four Earlys”: (1) Persist in putting inspection first; discover the seeds of discord early. This involves ground-level organizations and the DSD departments using foundational detection, directional detection, follow-up detection, and specialized detection to take charge of the work of providing early warning. (2) Persist in putting detection and warning first; defend and control early. This involves implementing comprehensive defense and control measures towards people of interest and people who pose a special danger by: sharing information amongst base-level organizations, analyzing situations, and implementing methods of diversion and control. (3) Persist in putting education first; resolve conflicts early. [Zhuji City has] implemented a system called “4+1” that helps and educates certain key people within special communities. This system involves the standing committee + the department heads + village communities + the responsible police officers, and is a method of creating change through helping and teaching. The control, helping, and teaching mechanisms are directed towards populations of interest and implemented by: the united effort of the DSD, the local police, the police station branch leaders and the neighborhood communities, police, village and town (street administrative district, work unit) village (community) cadres, and secret forces. This effort uses the “Three Sinceres and the Three Helps” method which is to sincerely teach, sincerely touch and persuade, and to sincerely uplift, so as to gradually reduce elements of social instability and prevent conflicts from rising up to higher levels [of government]. (4) persist in putting punishment first; strike and take care of things early. [We should] use appropriate methods and at appropriate times strike and punish both acts clearly outside the bounds of the law as well as seeds of discord so as to deter and also to educate.

  （二） 依靠基层组织，落实防控机制

  将国保工作指向对象的防范和控制措施落实到基层党政组织，实现在国保部门的专门指导下，基层组织具体落实对重点人，重点事的有效防控。“枫桥经验”的发源 地诸暨市，在这方面的工作内容相当丰富，比较突出的是“四先四早”工作机制：一是坚持排查在先，早发现苗头。通过基层组织和国保部门的基础排查，定向排 查，跟踪排查，专门排查等形式，切实抓好预警工作；二是坚持预警在先，早防范控制。通过与基层组织共同参与的信息交流，情况分析，采取分流管控的形式对重 点人员，高危人员落实综合防范措施；三是坚持教育在先，早化解矛盾。对特殊群体骨干采取了“4+1”帮教体系，即“常委+部门负责人+村居+责任民警”的 帮教转化机制，对各类重点人口落实了由国保民警，派出所分管领导及社区民警，乡镇（街道，单位），村（社区）干部和秘密力量组成的“四位一体”的管控和帮 教措施，以真心帮教，真情感化，真诚帮扶的“三真三帮”工作方法，逐步减少社会不稳定因素，尽力避免矛盾向更高层次转化；四是坚持处置在先，早打击处理。 对于法律界限明确的违法行为和苗头动向，采取适当的形式，适时运用打击处置手段，以起到警示和教育作用。

  C. Rely on powers within society; establish coordination mechanisms

  In the process of developing key strategic positions and key regions to defend against and control, we face the reality that our specialized abilities are not sufficient. Therefore, we have actively relied on powers within society by building a foundation of mutual help, mutual assistance, and mutual trust to establish a multi-tiered coordination mechanism. Classic examples of this are the cultural propaganda department’s program called “[Provide for] security by defending against [subversive] writings” and the “Three Corps, Three Personnel” program implemented at colleges and universities. The realm of cultural propaganda is characterized by great intellectual activity, a diversity of viewpoints, and by the reality that cultural propaganda is a major battlefield upon which the forces of opposition, domestic and foreign, seek to steal away the public’s right to expression. Along with the news, propaganda, broadcast and television, and culture departments, we jointly established a corps of monitors to inspect and control the book market, fiber optic cables, website forums, and ink and paper storehouses, so as to eliminate any possible hidden security threats, political or material. As for colleges and universities, [the problems encountered were that] campuses are scattered in different areas, security skills are low, defense capabilities are weak, etc. In response to theses conditions we joined with the alarm and protection force to form a corps of roving monitors, established a corps of student campus-wide roving monitors, and established an inter-school assistance corps. These “three corps” effectively supplemented the DSD’s power, ensured the [ideological] purity of the campuses, and at the same time—by establishing a system of school contact people, advisors, and intelligence personnel—promoted mutual understanding and communication between the schools and the DSD. This created prime conditions in which developments at the college level could be ascertained, and intelligence information could be gathered.

  （三） 依靠社会力量，建立协同机制

  我们在开展重点阵地，重点领域防范控制过程中，针对专门力量不足的现实，积极依靠社会力量，在“互帮，互助，互信”的基础上，建立了多层次的协同机制，比 较典型的有文化宣传领域的“安防协作机制”和高校领域的“三队三员”机制。针对文化宣传领域思想活跃，观点多样，又是境内外敌对势力争夺舆论发言权的主战 场的实际，我们和新闻，宣传，广电，文化等部门联合建立了“安全防范协作机制”，通过建立联合巡查队的形式，把图书市场，有线光缆，网站论坛，油墨纸张库 房等作为重点防控部位，全方位地实施检查和监控，消除这些重点部位可能发生的政治上和物质上的安全隐患。针对高校校区分散，技防设施薄弱，保卫力量不强等 情况，我们通过警保（卫）联合巡逻队，学生校园巡逻队，校际救助队的“三队”形式，有效整合安保力量，保障了校园环境的洁净，同时通过院校联络员，辅导 员，信息员体系的建立，促进学校与国保部门之间的理解与沟通，也为及时掌握高校动态，搜集高校情报信息创造了有利的条件。

  D. Rely on the people; refine self-governing mechanisms

  [We strive to] persist in wide-scale mobilization of the masses, propagandizing to the masses, organizing the masses, guiding and using the enthusiasm for self-governance held by the masses, as a way of organizing and carrying on the work of preserving stability. Currently, more than 1200 administrative villages and more than 70 neighborhood residents’ committees in our city have established “creating security, preserving stability” small leadership groups. These small groups along with police mediation personnel, DSD intelligence personnel and the core “uplifting” personnel (referred to as “the three personnel”) extend the Public Security Bureau’s work of preserving social stability and the Public Security Bureau’s intelligence gathering apparatus out to the masses. The Fengqiao police station in Zhuji with the support of the township Party committee and according to need has established a self-governing people’s corps organized by forty DSD work coordinators. This corps was organized by the principle of “organize by proximity, one person from every village.” The corps not only effectively resolved the police station’s weaknesses of lacking sufficient foundational DSD police capability, incomplete ground-level supervision, holes in the control and supervision of people and events of interest, etc; it also further increased the breadth of the DSD’s intelligence gathering base and promoted the organic fusion of the work of specialized personnel with the work of the masses. Currently, we are planning on gradually taking this model out to the countryside where the DSD’s workload is relatively heavy.

  （四） 依靠人民群众，细化自治机制

  坚持广泛发动群众，宣传群众，组织群众，引导和利用群众自治，自管的积极性，
  组织开展群众性稳定工作。目前，我市1200多个行政村和70多个居民委员会建立了“创安维稳”领导小组和由“治安调解员，国保信息员，骨干帮扶员”为主 体的“三员”队伍，把公安机关维护社会稳定和搜集情报信息的触角直接延伸到了群众当中去。诸暨枫桥派出所还在镇党委的支持下，根据形势需要建立了由40名 国保工作协管员组成的群众自治队伍，按照“就近安排，每村一名”的设置原则进行覆盖，不但切实解决了当前派出所国保基础工作警力不足，基础管理不够到位， 重点对象管控存在疏漏等的实际问题，也进一步拓宽了国保基础信息的广度，更深层次的促进了专门工作和群众工作的有机融合。目前，我们正计划将这种工作模式 在国保工作任务比较重的乡镇逐步推开。

  E. Rely on specialized forces; strengthen specialized mechanisms

  A unified effort requires that the mechanism for building, deploying, commanding and utilizing secret forces is continually strengthened. As for building [secret forces], [we should] break free from the original framework of primarily relying upon grey regions; [we should] combine the use of economic incentives with personal feeling to establish a new kind of secret force that is highly educated, capable, and objectively demonstrates that they are willing to serve the DSD. At the same time, in order to generally raise the police force’s ability to engage in hidden conflicts, and their ability to engage in specialized work, we have introduced a work requirement that “no matter what position you hold, everyone must build the secret forces.” In terms of development, we have continually extended our intelligence gathering apparatus into the Internet and other new media to build upon our foundation of focusing on people, events and areas of interest. Starting in 2003, we tried building a secret Internet force. In terms of command and utilization, [we have] transformed the original passive model into a proactive model; we have gradually changed the practice of passively reacting to proactively striking. This fulfills the requirement of key departments to “detect and ambush” and has proactively cultivated a new kind of multi-faceted secret force that can be utilized across lines.

  （五） 依靠专门力量，强化专业机制

  结合形势需要，不断强化秘密力量的物建，分布，指挥和使用机制。在物建上，打破原来以灰色为主的源体框架，运用经济手段和感情培养相结合的方式，建立了一 批文化层次高，活动能力强并在主观上愿意为国保工作服务的新型的秘密力量。同时为在整体上提高民警开展隐蔽斗争和专门工作的能力，我们还提出了“不论具体 岗位，人人都要物建秘密力量”的工作要求。在分布上，以原先围绕重点人，重点事，重点部位为基础，将触角不断延伸到网络等新增领域。从2003年开始，我 们就尝试物建网络秘密力量。在指挥使用上，将原来的被动型转为主动型，即将被动应对逐步转化为主动出击，提出了关键部位“预伏”的要求，并积极培养可以跨 线使用的多功能型秘密力量。

  ［To be continued.］

  Image source: aboluowang, Shanghai plainclothes DSD police officers are on duty. (Photo taken by a petitioner in front of Shanghai government petitioning office.)

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  • January 27, 2010 11:09 PM

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

  

  The Domestic Security Department （国内安全保护支队）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.

  The following excerpts are from China’s interactive knowledge site Baidubaike , translated by CDT:

  国内安全保卫的目的。国内安全保卫的目的是巩固共产党执政地位，保卫人民民主专政的政权和社会主义制度，保障社会主义现代化建设的顺利进行。

  The goal of domestic security protection is to strengthen the ruling position of the Chinese Communist Party, protect the regime of the People’s Democratic Dictatorship and socialist system, ensure the smooth carrying out of the socialist modernization construction.

  And the following three types of people are the main targets of DSD police:

  1, People who have social influence – they do not need to be social celebrities, but within China, they have broad social networks or become spokespeople of a group with common experience.

  有一定的社会影响力——他们不一定是社会名人，但是他们在中国国内，有广泛的人际关系或为一群共同命运伙伴的代言人

  2, People who have their own distinct views in the economic, cultural and political domain, they possess different views from the authorities or “main melody” and insist on expressing their views.

  有自己独特的主张——在经济、文化或政治领域，与当局或“主旋律”持有不同的观点并且坚持表达自己的意见

  3, Possibly related to rights protection – protecting economic rights, such as apartment owners of urban residential blocks or peasants who lost their land; protecting political rights, such as journalists, writers who insist on freedom of the press or freedom of expression, or house church members who maintain their beliefs, or Tibetan Buddhists who support the Dalai Lama.

  可能涉及维权——或者维护经济权益，如小区业主和失地农民等；或者维护文化权益，如画家和艺术家；或者维护政治权利，如坚持新闻和表达自由的记者、作家，坚持信仰的家庭教会成员和支持达赖喇嘛的藏传佛教信徒等

  And the following excerpt is from Chinese wikipedia, which is partially blocked by the Great Firewall:

  Within the Domestic Security Department, the general components are office; information, intelligence and external liasion branch; social investigation and local work-directing branch; ethnic and religious investigation branch; anti-subversive and sabotage investigation branch; university, cultural and economic domain domestic security protection work-directing branch; domestic security protection case investigation branch; and anti-cult investigation branch.

  国保支队内设机构一般为办公室、情报信息与对外联络科、社会调查与基层基础工作指导科、民族宗教领域侦察科、反颠覆破坏侦察科、高校文化及经济领域国内安全保卫工作指导科、国内安全保卫案件侦察科(机动侦察大队)，反邪教侦察科。

  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.

  Internal Document of the Domestic Security Department of the Public Security: Follow the Path of Staying Close to the Masses; Strengthen the Foundation of the Domestic Security Department
  走群众路线 实国保根基

  Yang Guangwei (Political Commisioner of Domestic Security Department [DSD] of the Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Public Security Bureau)
  杨光伟（浙江省绍兴市公安局国保支队政委）

  These last several years, the DSD system in our city has made it its number one priority to protect social and political stability. [The DSD system has] used “the experience at Fengqiao,”* which gave rise to the DSD’s work, as a powerful weapon to further the work of the DSD, persisted in its unmoving commitment of following the path of working with the masses, continued to strengthen the foundation of the DSD, powerfully promoted the healthy development of the DSD’s work, and effectively ensured the social and political stability of the city.

  近年来，我市国保系统以维护社会政治稳定为第一责任，把源于政保工作的“枫桥经验”作为开展国保工作的有力武器，坚持走群众工作路线不动摇，进一步夯实国保基层基础，有力推动了国保工作的健康发展，有效确保了全市社会政治稳定。

  I. Using the “Four Uniteds” to clarify the direction of working with the masses.

  [We have striven to] use “the experience at Fengqiao” to organically integrate the four aims of grasping the actual situation, understanding development, understanding discipline, and accomplishing work goals. [We have striven to] locate the DSD work’s focus, difficulties, and points of integration so as to clarify the direction of the DSD’s foundational work of following the path of staying close to the masses.

  A. Become united in spirit; clarify the direction of the work (omitted)
  B. Become united in actual reality; clarify the focus of the work (omitted)
  C. Become united in discipline; clarify the direction of development (omitted)
  D. Become united in work goals; clarify work protocols (omitted)

  一， 以“四个结合”为内容，明确群众工作方向

  把运用“枫桥经验”，把握现实形势，洞悉发展规律和实现工作目标四者有机结合起来，找准国保工作的重点，难点和结合点，从而明确国保基层基础工作“走群众路线”的大方向。
  （一） 结合精神实质，明确工作方向 (略)
  （二） 结合现实形势，明确工作重点 (略)
  （三） 结合发展规律，明确发展走向 (略)
  （四） 结合工作目标，明确工作步骤 (略)

  II. Use the “Five Reliances” to create a mechanism for working with the masses

  It has consistently been the DSD’s utmost priority to establish mechanisms to work with the masses, and to continually perfect these mechanisms through examination and through guidance. After several years of exploration and experience our city has basically developed a comprehensive and thorough scheme implemented in cities, counties and townships to correlate the work of the DSD with the masses.

  二， 以“五个依靠”为主线，打造群众工作机制

  始终把建立群众工作机制作为国保工作的重中之重，并通过考核和指导不断完善。经过几年的探索和实践，我市基本形成了市，县，镇三级横向到边，纵向到底的国保群众工作机制体系。

  A. Rely on the Party Committee and Government; perfect the leadership mechanisms

  We proactively acted as intermediaries with the Party Committee and Government and actively sought their recognition and support. We established and perfected a mechanism called “Three Groups, Three Meetings, Three Reports.”

  （一） 依靠党委政府，完善领导机制

  我们主动当好党委政府参谋，积极争取重视支持，建立完善了以“三组三会三报”为内容的国保工作上层机制：

  (1) The “three groups” ensure organization between the work of the DSD and the work of ensuring social stability. The first group is the Party Committee and Government head leadership council. The Public Security Bureau branch leaders participate in the work of preserving social stability within the region. The next set of groups is the various specialized small leadership groups attended by those responsible within the DSD and organized by the top Party and government branch leadership. The final group conducts meetings involving the main leaders of the Party committee and government. Those responsible within the DSD participate in small groups that focus on preventing large mass incidents and punishing and trying those involved.

  一是以“三组”为形式，确定国保工作和社会稳定工 作的组织体制。首先是建立党委政府主要领导挂帅，公安分管领导参加的维稳工作领导小组组织，协调区域内的国保维稳工作；其次是建立由党委政府分管领导牵 头，国保部门负责人参加的各种专门工作领导小组；再次是党委政府主要领导牵头，国保部门负责人参加的重大群体性事件防范和处置领导小组，开展对重大群体性 事件的预防，研判和处置指挥工作。

  (2) The “three meetings” refer to regularly scheduled domestic security report meetings, serious incident analysis meetings, and specialized work correlation meetings. These meetings ensure the timely communication of intelligence information and the correlation of command mechanisms. They also aid in ensuring the Party committee government leadership’s complete control over the direction and content of the DSD’s work. This in turn helps the Party committee government leadership understand and support the DSD’s actual work.

  二是以国内安全形势定期报告会，重大情况分析会，专门工作协调会为形式，确保情报信息的及时沟通和指挥协调，也利于党委 政府领导全面掌握国保部门的工作动向和工作内容，从而理解和支持国保部门的具体工作。

  (3) The three reports refer to a system of reporting in which the head of the Public Security Bureau regularly reports to the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress on the periodic work of the DSD and the Government Stability Preservation Leading Group Office, a system of reporting in which DSD intelligence information is carried through executive channels, and a specialized system of reporting in which in specified circumstances, the DSD will use special channels to report directly to major leaders within the Party committee and government. In addition, in 2004, the municipal Party Secretary instructed DSD departments that certain specific intelligence information should be carried directly to him/her through specified confidential channels.

  三是实行“三报”制度，即公安局长定期向常委会报告阶段性国保工作和 维稳工作制度，通过行政渠道的国保情报信息例报制度和特定情况下由国保部门通过特殊途径直接送达党委政府主要领导的专报制度。2004年，市委书记还指示 国保部门，对一些专门内容的情报信息可以通过特定的机要渠道直接送达其本人。

  [To be continued]

  * “The experience at Fengqiao” is a term coined in 1963 when Mao Zedong visited Zhuji City in Zhejiang province. Mao praised the local leaders for their ability to rely on the masses, diffuse contradictions, safeguard stability and ensure that “minor problems can be settled without going out of the village, major problems can be resolved without going out of the town and conflicts are not passed on to the leadership.”

  (Image source: hedong.cn: DSD officers of Hedong region, Linyi City, Shandong Province.)

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  • January 26, 2010 10:52 PM

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