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Secret Document (distribution within Changchun Municipality): Work Plan to Ensure Security on Appeal

[Editor’s note: The annual “Two Conferences” (the National People’ s Congress and People’s Political Consultative Conference) were held in March in Beijing for the representatives to report their local residents’ concerns to the central government and to discuss national policies. The “Two Conferences” provide an opportunity for those with issues unresolved at local government levels to voice out to the higher authorities. In recent years, conflicts between people and local governments have been on the rise and so are the numbers of people who go to Beijing to appeal. In order to ensure a “peaceful environment” and a good international image, government at each level tries to minimize the appeals during this sensitive period of time. Below is a secret document from the Changchun municipal government detailing the strategies on how to prevent local petitioners from going to the Appeal Reception Offices in Beijing during the “Two Conferences.”]


1. Key Security Precautions on Appeal Activities during the “Two Conferences”

The (Jilin) Provincial Courthouse and the (Changchun) Municipal Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Committee all put emphasis on the issue of security work for appeal activities during the “Two Conferences.” The main task of the two levels of courts in our city is to control the people intending to go to Beijing to appeal their cases. At first, (we) must take effective preventive measures, placing the appealers under surveillance in their residential districts. Secondly, send people and cars to Beijing to intercept the appealers and bring them back home. The leaders of the courthouse and other responsible personnel should assign the roles and responsibilities as per the Rules for Appeals, and make sure that all the possibilities are well covered. Make sure to report immediately all important and emergency cases to the local CCP Committee, the government and upper-level courthouses. All the police officers assigned to court trials and on duty are not allowed to travel out of town on business without a justifiable emergency case. Cell phones should be on 24 hours a day to be ready for any incident. Lower-level courthouses should prepare vehicles, personnel and funds. Make sure (you) can travel to Beijing immediately upon notice to intercept a person who goes to visit Beijing’s Central Appeal Office. Whoever causes negative consequences due to laziness and negligence will be held responsible and disciplined.

2. Main targets of surveillance during the “Two Conferences”

The main targets of surveillance during this period of time are those who have visited Beijing since October 2004. We must have a thorough plan at all levels to control the identified key persons. Communist Party Committee members should take charge of specific cases and persons. Watch them constantly and restrain them tightly; we must know all these people’s activities. Monitor them 24 hours a day; we absolutely can’t let them off the hook to go to Beijing to appeal, nor can we allow them to vanish from our surveillance. For those who escape from our watch, the responsible parties must go to the train station to capture them; also report the incident to the Middle Courthouse. We absolutely don’t allow anyone to appeal in Beijing. After receiving the Stop-the-Appealer notice, the responsible police group should arrive at the designated spot at the specified time.

3. Assignment for police forces traveling to Beijing

During the “Two Conferences,” the City Middle Court is responsible for coordinating the police forces of all courthouses in the city. All the appellant cases belonging to the courthouses of our municipality should be assigned to designated courts. Associated Chief Judge Liu Dexiao will lead the Beijing-bound task force. Each case-determining Chief Judge from Chaoyang, Kuancheng, Luyuan, and Nanguan district courts, and Jiutai city court, will lead a policeman and an appeal officer to Beijing. Each of the above courts should also bring a van to Beijing. The Middle Court should send eight courthouse police and two appeal officers to Beijing. Erdao District Court should send two police officers to Beijing. During the stay in Beijing, all the police and officials should sleep and eat as a group. The appeal officers and police from the Primary Courts are familiar with the duties and appellant cases; they should be able to do the job well. Every group traveling to Beijing should bring cameras and camcorders, and record the appealers for evidence.

All the courthouse police and officials traveling to Beijing will be divided into four groups: Search, Security, Organization/Coordination, and Logistics. Each group should report its work to Associated Chief Judge Liu Dexiao on a daily basis.

Search Group is divided into three subgroups, each consisting of five persons, with one of them being from the Primary Courts.

Group One: Leader is He Hongzhi; Use a vehicle from Chaoyang District. Responsible locations: CCP’s Central Disciplinary Committee and CCP’s Organization Ministry Appeal Reception Offices.

Group Two: Leader is Shi Tiehong; Use a vehicle from Luyuan District. Responsible locations: National People’s Congress and State Appeal Reception Offices.

Group Three: Leader is Xu Jun; Use a vehicle from Kuancheng District. Responsible locations: Supreme Court Appeal Reception Office and the vicinity.

Security Group leader is Sun Tiejun. Members include police from Middle Court and Erdao District Court. Responsibilities are: safety of the appealers so they will go nowhere.

Organization and Coordination Group leader is Jiang Boren; group member is Qin Zhiming. Responsibilities include escorting appealers home, communicating with Jilin Provincial Courthouse, State Bureau for (Appealing) Letters and Calls, Beijing Fuyoujie (National Appeal Reception Office location) Police Branch, Beijing Rescue Station, etc. Also, supervise and coordinate with the other groups, make adjustments to all groups’ work according to actual situations, and handle important and urgent events.

When repatriating appealers, everyone should report to Yang Shaoqiang. After the appealers are escorted back from Beijing, Deputy Judge Yang Shaoqiang will receive them and make assignments.

Logistics Group leader is Song Dezhi. He is responsible for logistics support for those in Beijing. The group should leave for Beijing together with the leader in Case Court before February 18. They will make hotel reservations near the highway in Tongzhou District.

The Middle Court will cover the meal and hotel expenses. The individual court will cover the vehicle cost.

All members in Beijing should have breakfast and dinner as a group. Police on search duty can have lunch at a convenient, nearby location. Per Diem rate is set at 25 yuan (US$3) per person, reimbursable by the Middle Court Logistics Group. The communication fees for security personnel during the “Two Conferences” will be covered by the individual court, following the standard of 50 yuan (US$6) per day.

Time and location leaving for Beijing will be notified separately.