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Jiang Yanyong, the Chinese military doctor who spoke about the 2003 SARS outbreak and was later placed under house arrest for his political speech, has died, a longtime friend and a Hong Kong newspaper said on Tuesday.
Jiang was 91 and died of pneumonia Saturday in Beijing, according to human rights activist Hu Jia and the South China Morning Post.
News of Jiang’s death and even his name were censored in China, underscoring how he remained a politically sensitive figure even at the end of his life.
Jiang had been the chief surgeon at the People’s Liberation Army’s 301st main hospital in Beijing when the army stormed the city to end weeks of student-led pro-democracy protests centered on Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds – possibly thousands – of citizens. civil.
The warning letter about SARS was ignored by the Chinese media
In April 2003, when the ruling Communist Party was suppressing news of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, Jiang wrote an 800-word letter claiming that there were more SARS cases than officially reported by state health. minister.
Jiang sent emails to state broadcaster CCTV and Beijing-friendly Hong Kong’s Phoenix channel, both of which ignored him. The letter was later leaked to Western media outlets who published it in full, as well as reports on the true nature of the outbreak and China’s official efforts to cover it up.
The letter, together with the death of a Finnish United Nations employee and the statement of the famous doctor Zhong Nanshan, forced the lifting of the government’s repression, leading to the resignation of the health minister and the mayor of Beijing.
Strict containment measures were implemented almost overnight, helping to prevent the spread of the virus that has begun to emerge abroad.
In total, more than 8,000 people from 29 countries and territories were infected with SARS, resulting in at least 774 deaths.
“Jiang … saved many lives with that letter, without thinking about the consequences,” Hu told The Associated Press.
Authorities blocked media access to Jiang
Chinese authorities have since sought to block media access to Jiang, who retired with the rank of major general. He declined an interview with The Associated Press, saying he could not get permission from the Defense Ministry.
Since 2004, Jiang and his wife have been periodically placed under house arrest for asking Communist leaders to re-evaluate the 1989 protests which remain a taboo subject. It recalls Jiang’s previous experience of being persecuted as a rightist under Mao Zedong in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
In 2004, Jiang was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service from the Philippines, which some consider the Asian version of the Nobel Peace Prize. In the quote, he was praised for breaking “the habit of silence and forcing the truth of SARS to be exposed.” Jiang was banned from leaving the country and the award was collected by his daughter for him.
Three years later, he won the Heinz R. Pagels Human Rights of Scientists Award given by the New York Academy of Sciences, but was again blocked from traveling.
Echoes of Jiang’s experience were heard during China’s approach to the initial outbreak of COVID-19, which was first detected in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019.
Wuhan ophthalmologist Li Wenliang was detained and threatened by police for allegedly spreading rumors on social media after trying to warn others about a “SARS-like” virus.
Li’s death on February 7, 2020, sparked outrage against China’s censorship system. Users post criticism for hours before censors move to remove posts. Sympathy and outrage over the treatment of Li and other whistleblowers prompted the government to change course and declare him and 13 others martyrs.
COVID-19 has killed nearly seven million people worldwide, including about 1.5 million in China, whose government has been accused of underestimating the true death toll.
Jiang is survived by his wife, Hua Zhongwei, son and daughter, according to the South China Morning Post.
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