#19 Opium suppression under the Communists

   This is an account of opium suppression under the Communists in Yanhe, a county in northeastern Guizhou, now the Yanhe Tujia Autonomous County. The Communists, like all other governments in China, had profited from the opium trade in the years before 1949, and like other governments they had publicly committed themselves to the eventual elimination of the opium trade.  Although many of the specific techniques they used were similar to those of the Nationalists, the communist anti-opium campaigns were carried out in the content of the successful effort to use mass campaigns to bring all aspects of local life under control, and thus the Communists were considerably more successful than the Nationalists. Opium and drug use would not be a problem again in China until the post-Mao era. [i]

   Before Liberation Yanhe was one of the counties that suffered the most from opium, and I was one of those who suffered from the evil that opium fomented in society. After liberation I participated in the anti-opium struggle, and all this is still clear in my memory. This account is based on what I saw and heard, as well as on relevant archival sources.

   Opium is a poison from the bulb of the poppy plant. It induces sleep and cures illness, and medicinally is used to make narcotics. If a person uses it too long, however, they become addicted, harming their body, mind, and constitution. In former years British imperialist sold much opium in China, making great profits while harming many people. The Japanese during their military invasion, feudal forces, bureaucratic and capitalist groups all profited from control of the opium trade, causing opium to swiftly engulf all the towns and counties of our country. It is not recorded when opium first came to Yanhe, but it was already being grown in the county by the 1920's. In the 30's, when I was a young boy I remember seeing our neighbors growing opium. Many people smoked it as well, and the village had three opium dens, full of smoke day and night. The Nationalist government issued proclamations against opium and started the so-called New Life Movement. I remember a song I learned in school in the 40's. "Opium is the king of harm, when you are not sick it makes you stay in bed. If you take it you not be able to hide. It makes you sell your fields, land, and wife; Only those with no conscience  harm people by opening an opium den or growing opium. They will be caught and taken to the execution ground and with the bang of a gun sent to see the Yama King."

   There were many calls for opium prohibition, and legally it could lead to death, but it was a case of lots of thunder and little rain. Opium suppression got some results in the central areas, but in the borderlands it was entirely different, and opium was still openly grown, sold, and smoked. Prior to the collapse of the Nationalist government collapsed, the governor of Guizhou, Su Zhenglun, collected fines on "special goods," and on shipping it out of the province, and also taxed the people of Yanhe who planted it. In 1948 and 1949 not only did the outlying areas of the county produce a lot of opium, the fields near the county seat, where it had not been seen before, were full of poppies. In the towns of the county there were hundreds of opium dens, and in the rural districts opium dens were often open day an night. A group of opium and salt smuggling officials and gentry made a lot of money from opium in this period. The officials would confiscate opium from the farmers, and it would then be exchanged for weapons, increasing their military power. One sub-county official, Zhang Jiayen, accumulated over 100 guns this way between 1946 and 1947 and was able to completely dominate the people because of this. The officials also encouraged addicts to gamble. Once they were high they would rob people, kill, set fires, loot stores and molest women. The people called officials and gentry, opium addicts, gambling, and bandits the four evils. On the Yunnan-Guizhou border one household out of a hundred could expect to be attacked by opium bandits every three years. I myself saw people loose their family property, sink into banditry and die in a ditch. Husbands and wives were driven to suicide, a thing horrible to mention and unbearable to see. The masses suffered greatly from opium. It was said that "Before Liberation the Southwest led the nation in the amount of opium grown and the number of smokers. The extent of its problem was beyond the power of words to describe." Yanhe, near the boundaries of Sichuan and Guizhou, was obviously part of this 

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   In December, 1949 the people of Yanhe achieved Liberation, and in February of 1950 the People's government was established. After this, under the leadership of the party and the army, plans were made to eliminate opium, beginning with those who had become addicts under the old regime. In February of 1950 Premier Zhou Enlai issued an order against opium, as did the county and provincial governments. Opium suppression was just getting started, but in April it was ordered to be suspended temporarily.

   In October, after the bandit suppression troops returned to Yanhe, the county head made opium suppression, bandit suppression and grain production his chief priorities. All local governments and anti-bandit troops were ordered to participate in the struggle, closing opium dens, punishing opium sellers and uprooting poppy plants. To ensure that opium suppression penetrated deeply the Yanhe county Anti-Opium Commission was established on November 19th. The county magistrate, Bai Yuren was chair, and the heads of the civil affairs, public security, education, finance-and-food, and public health departments were also members. It set p a secretariat, an investigative branch, a propaganda office, a security bureau and an opium clinic, thus really initiating the anti-opium movement in Yanhe.[ii] On November 26 the first Yanhe All-Classes Assembly debated and passed the regulations for opium suppression.

   The key parts of opium suppression at this point were: 1. Deep and broad propaganda about the dangers of opium, encouraging the masses to participate in opium suppression. 2. Prohibiting poppy growing. The local cadres, anti-bandit troops, and leaders of mass organizations were to carry out inspections and encourage peasants who raised poppy to uproot it themselves. Those who refused were to be dealt with by the Public Security bureau. 3. To prohibit opium shipment, manufacture and sales. These things are entirely evil, and those who dare to challenge the law would be punished. Those who produced opium had to give up their equipment to be destroyed by the masses.[iii] Even those who turned in their tools voluntarily and switch to another profession were to be investigated. 4. Prohibiting opium smoking. As opium had been poisoning the county for a long time there were many opium addicts, with the greatest numbers being among the workers and peasants and it was important to educate them so that they could cure themselves. Those who were deeply addicted and found it hard to quit could be registered and receive anti-opium pills from the Bureau of Public Health. Those who, in the end, could not be cured, besides undergoing forced labor, would not be eligible to receive the fruits of the struggle with feudalism. Those addicts who's lives were fairly acceptable would, on being exposed by the mobilized masses, undergo criticism and have their opium and pipes confiscated. Under these orders the local governments soon arrested many opium criminals and confiscated much opium and many pipes. In Qianguang village, a major opium town, one Zhang XX, on the excuse of  'checking on the cows', went out to smoke some opium in a grass hut. He was revealed by a grazing calf, and arrested by the Liberation Army.  Some old opium smokers from the Farmers Association, and some people from the Sisters' Association and the Youth Association went down to find opium, and pipes. By December the county had confiscated 1663.3 ounces of opium and 274 pipes. Leaving out the bandits, 15 opium addicts were purified. At that time of year it was very hard to tell poppy sprouts from other sprouts, and so only 6 mu of poppy were discovered.

   At this time the struggle between opium suppression and those who opposed it was very fierce. The rumor was that anyone who had ever smoked opium would be executed, and many opium addicts were deeply concerned, and used any method they could to hide their habit, burning their opium pipes or throwing them in the latrine. Some brazenly lied and claimed that they had not used opium for years, and others sent their wives or children to the Peasants Association to lie and make false declarations (on their behalf) or contrived other schemes. Some of the activists were also afraid of being exposed and asked their friends and relatives to keep quite about their opium use. There were about 10 villages where opium suppression was particularly arduous.

   In January of 1951 the county Anti-Opium Commission drew up new plans in response to a directive from the provincial government to deal with the minority of intellectually backwards people who were still growing opium. First came uprooting the poppies. Inspections had to penetrate deep into the mountains to keep the poppies from being planted and to uproot those that had been. Any opium or pipes that were discovered were to be destroyed by the masses as a sign of the government's determination.  The inspectors were from the county and district governments, and were empowered to punish cadres who concealed opium addicts, opium, or pipes. This would show the basic-level cadres and the masses that the government was determined, and that it had effective measures to deal with the problem, which would remove doubts and encourage action. In Jiashi subcounty some 10 mu of poppy were found growing in the mountains, which was uprooted. In Xinmin village 10 jin of opium hidden by the evil landlord Xiao Xiaofeng were found, and some crafty opium smugglers were found out, and various opium pipe makers had their tools confiscated. In Qitan subcounty, cadre Yang Shenghai was out for a stroll after dinner one evening when he saw Liu Shaozhou carrying a bundle of cloth around to various shops to sell it. The bundle seemed a little thick, so he investigated and found 10 ounces of opium. The people's soldiers were sent to examine the other bundles in the shops and found more opium. The county government publicized this case and ordered the localities to be vigilant and opium was found inside merchant's bamboo hats, under their chickens, and in their underwear and shoes. The ordinary opium addicts underwent education and forced cure and then were set on the path of reform through labor. There was a small group of hard-core addicts who, after their pipes were taken, made new ones, using spoons for opium lamps, eggshells for the bowl and the stems of writing brushes for the shaft of the pipe. They were found out by the Sisters', Youth and Mothers Associations. Opium addicts and smugglers were entirely under the eyes of the masses, and there was no hole for them to hide in. Opium smokers had no choice but to endure the aches and pains of withdrawing from opium.

   In May of 1951 the county anti-opium commission decided to add another method, in addition to the supervision of the masses. 1. Those who had been opium free for less than three years were to be registered by the district or city police and pledge not to smoke again. 2. addicts who were unable to quit were to be sent to the county anti-opium clinic. 3. Those for whom coming to the clinic in town would be a difficulty were to be given anti-opium pills, which they would take under the supervision of local cadres. 4. Sub-counties and  villages were to establish anti-opium pacts, which everyone would be required to join. 5. The anti-opium propaganda and education movement was to be revived. Lower and middle school students  gave speeches in public places, put up posters and gave dramatic performances. On June 2 an anti-opium exhibition was put up in front of the county cultural office. 6. The tax and salt offices and the police set up an anti-opium organization. 7. At the "7.7" commemorative rally and the resist Japan and America and aid Korea rallies opium was criticized, there were public arrests, and there was a public burning of opium and pipes.[iv]

   On July 7 the day was clear. The leaders of peoples' government, the anti-bandit forces and the PLA assembled in the county seat. The police had assembled 1248.3 ounces of opium and six pipes to be burned. Five recalcitrant opium addicts were arrested, and there was a march through some of the districts that had been slow in opium suppression.

   During 1951 6,171 mu of poppies were uprooted, 147,385.3 ounces of opium and 272 pipes confiscated. 36 opium criminals were sentence to periods from four months to two and a half years. The anti-opium struggle ended in victory. In 1952, during the 3 and 5 Anti Campaigns and land reform, investigators found some opium, returning like a poisonous snake, but it was again struck down.

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   It used to be said that "Ridding Yanhe of opium is as hard as ascending to heaven," but with the combined efforts of the party and the people it vanished like a puff of smoke in two years. It showed to the people that "When the party says they will do something, they do it. In two years they eliminated a poison that had lasted through many dynasties. They are indeed the common people's lucky star." One opium addict, after being cured, found that his strength had returned and that he could work and support himself. He said to his mother "The Communists turn opium devils into people. Their virtue is unending and they are worthy of being remembered to the last generation." The two most popular songs in the area, which people sang without stop, were "Without the Communist Party There Would be no New China" and "The Sky in the Liberated Areas is Bright and Clear"