Page 44 - SELECTED WORKS OF ZHU DE

NOTICE OF THE CHINESE WORKERS’
AND PEASANTS’ RED ARMY *

May 1935

The mission of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army is
to emancipate the weak, minority nationalities. All the common people
of the Yi and Han nationalities are as near to each other as blood
brothers. But the hateful Sichuan warlords ruthlessly oppress the Yi
people; they kill indiscriminately and impose exorbitant taxes and
levies. The Red Army troops are making their Long March, smashing
enemy resistance wherever they go. Now they have come to western
Sichuan. They respect the customs of the Yi people. They observe
strict discipline; They won’t take a single grain or a single piece of
thread from the people; they pay a fair price for the grain they buy,
making full payment in cash. I hope all the Yi people will quickly
unite, without doubt or fear, and fight together to drive out the war-
lords. We favour setting up a government of the Yi people so that they
can govern their own affairs, win genuine equality and freedom, and
no longer be bullied and insulted by others. I hope you will work hard
to publicize all this, making it known to the people of western Sichuan.

Zhu De
Commander-in-Chief of
the Red Army

* This is a prose translation of the notice which was issued in verse. — Tr.

40