CHINA - CONDITIONS IN TOY-SHAN DISTRICT, KWANGTUNG PROVINCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000400120004-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 25, 2003
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: February 12, 1954
• Content Type: IRR

Appo 120004
v d Fg IL'AelR6%20COM&RDP82-000478000400 -
'17.
AS
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY China
SUBJECT Conditions in Toy-Shan District, Kwangtun;
Province
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF INFORM&TI0N
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AMY 70.1 01 THE U.E. CODE. AS AMENDED. ITS TNANSIIISSION DN Nl VE.
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ISONIIIT[D It LA.. THE NDIN000CT10N 01 7 . ....... If IN-.INITSO.
25X1 1.
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DATE DISTR. /:I-
NO. OF PAGES 3
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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25X1 After the Chinese Communists assumed control of the country,
to 0
25X1 the "landlord class" =was forced
2 5X1 farm work on an almost slave labor basis. For example, for a period of two
years worked on farms from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm, seven days a week. After
25X1 two years was paid a thousand dollars in "People's Currency," which is
25X1
25X1 5?
25X1
25X1 6.
25X1
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY 25X
equivalent to less than USJ4.
During this entire period permitted to buy more than Ii. oz of
rice per day. see mea?or any vegetables for more than two years.
I crops in South China have been very bad recently and there
is great shortage of practically everything. People are currently using peanut
oil for cooking and there is not much of that available. There is no meat on
the market and practically no vegetables. Most of the foodstuffs raised in
the area .are taken away by the Communist authorities. However, there is
enough salt,
GJ/~ I I?
cats and dogs in the are because they tirould have to be fed.
25X1 8. I although the landlords are almost all liquidated, as of 1953,
.some small-independently owned stores are still open. As a matter of fact,
many are not permitted to close by order of the authorities. However, any
money that thew store makes is ompt],y, takef &wa3 y,? ng) er ? If a store
S~-Ew LAS +T ? i d N ~? ..
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the Communist authorities have even taken all of the
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owner refuses to give the authorities any money and says that he has none, he
is beaten up until he furnishes a little. He is then beaten up again for
having lied in the first place.
9. when the Communists first came in and talked about
land reform many of the poor farmers were extremely happy. They were favor-
25X1 able to the Communists as they felt they were getting something for nothing.
However, they have found that even though they got some land, production quotas
and taxes are so high that they have nothing left and they have done all their
work for nothing. Consequently, as of 1953, there is growing hatred against
25X1 the Communists, even among those who at first were for them.
the hopelessness of the people's position is leading to a steady
increase in the number of suicides. The people just cannot take the hunger
and the torture they are subjected to when they have no hope for any possible
changes in conditions.
11. Surveillance of the people by the authorities is constant, and particularly so
for those in the "landlord class."* It is necessary for everyone, however,
to get an official permit to go visit friends outside the village, and they are
given just so much time. They are searched by the police when they return to
their homes just to make sure that they did not obtain any guns, knives, or
other contraband, However, when the Communists first assumed control they
confiscated all guns and all larger knives, so actually there is nothing of
this sort to be had.
25X1 your;men of 16 or 19 are told that there are "good jobs"
2 5X1 available for them elsewhere and they are taken away. Their relatives do
25X1 not know where they have gone and they never come back, Their relatives never
25X1
13. they did not hear much about the Korean war inlIvillage
2 5X1 as there are no newspapers available, no radios, and there is not even a loud
25X1 speaker in the village. o news about the USSR, although
2 5X1 this is not surprising because as a member of the "landlord class" no
one was permitted to talk Il and even old friends were afraid to s-Peak
fl
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140
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15. Even in spite of the fact that travel is severely restricted, news does get
out of China by way of Hong Kong.
25X1
25X1 All correspondence in and out of China is, of
course, censored. Censorship is usually at the village.
16. The Chinese Communists are making great efforts to influence the youth and
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25X1
are succeeding to a great e,:tent. ;ven little children are used as snoops
for the Communists and it has gotten to the point where parents are afraid
to talk openly to their children,
fit was knosnthat the Communi::ts
attempted to pump information on parents' opinions and actions from the
children.
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17. In line with this breakdown of traditional respect for elders, it is standard
practice for the Communist authorities to howl at old people and upbraid them
publicly. They are still permitted to get food, but receive a li .it of 4 oz
of rice per day, just as my wife and other members of the "landlord class."
18. Incidentally, members of the "landlord class" are not permitted to go to the
market.. They are required to buy their needs from peddlers. They are not
permitted to buy more than the absolute maximum requirement for one week, i e,
28 oz of rice, although occasionally they are able to obtain a little salt and
sometimes even a small fish,
19. The people in the area used to burn kerosene in their lamps at home, but now
there are no more lights as there is no kerosene available and there is nothing
else to burn.
20. The Communist authorities confiscated all the people's newer clothes, but did
not take any of the old and worn out clothes.
21. As far as controls are concerned, the villages in the Toy-Shan District are
usually controlled by people who were formerly farmers. It is obligatory
for all farmers and people of the village to attend a meeting every night at
which Communist propaganda is featured,
22. There is no industry in the Toy-Shan District. It is strictly a farming area
and produces cane sugar, ripe, and vegetables, most of which is now confiscated
by the Communists and taken away, no factories
25X1 or other industries being established in the area andl no road
25X1 construction or railroad construction in the area.
23. Prior to World War II, one road through lIvillage which ran from
25X1 Sunchong through Toy-Shan to uonghai. this road, which had
25X 1 been badly battered during the war, is now being rebuilt, although it is still
25X1 mostly dirt. It is about two cars wide at the most and during the rainy season
is almost impassable, Ftowever, when the going gets bad, sand and gravel are
dumped on the bad places-, There is practically no travel on the road..
24. As far as possi'ilities of resistance to the Communists are concerned, they are
just about nil in the Toy-Shan areao because it is all farm area there is no
25X1 place to hide and there are no supplies for guerrillas to begin with.
781.13 981 L
890.2 981 L
852.1 981 L
896.9 981L
75+?22 981 L
621.42 981L
772.53 IL/C(V)
CCI FIDLNTIAL
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