Army of revolt claim in China

Press, 19 October 1976, Page 8

Army of revolt claim in China

NZPA-Reuter Peking A leading Shanghai admi-l nistrator was accused i yesterday in wall-posters of organising a militia army of I one million in an effort to I take over China’s largest city by force. Sources in Shanghai reported that posters accused the local Communist Party secretary, Ma Tien-shui, of arming the militia and plotting to grab control of the harbour, radio station, and other key locations. Mr Ma has been closely associated with the four Leftist leaders reported tobe under arrest for planning the murder of Mr Hua Kuofeng, the Prime Minister. One poster claimed that Mr Ma had maintained a "hot-line” to the most senior of the four leaders, the party vice-chairman, Mr Wang Hung-wen. It asked Mr Ma to clarify

why he had a private radio station and to state its use, the sources reported. They said another poster called on the Communist Party Central Committee to take” steps to reorganise the Left-leaning Shanghai Revolutionary Committee, which adminsters the most densely-Populated area of the country. Shanghai used to be regarded as a bastion of Leftist radicalism, but since Friday it has been plastered [with posters attacking the four leaders — Mr Wang; Mao Tse-tung’s widow, Chiang Ching; the Deputy Prime Minister Mr Chang Chun-chiao; and Mr Yao Wen-yuan, a part, propagandist. NZPA-Reuter repor* 3d from Hong Kong that an American, whom it did not identify, had just returned from Shanghai with a report that he had seen tens of I thousands demonstrating 'against the arrested Leftists.