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.
