A Chinese doctor who was reprimanded for warning against a “SARS-like” coronavirus before it was officially recognised died of the virus on Friday, triggering a wave of mourning in China and rare online expressions of anger towards the government.
Ophthalmologist Li was among eight people reprimanded by police in the city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the flu-like contagion in central Hubei province, for spreading “illegal and false” information.
Li’s social media warnings of a new “SARS-like” coronavirus – a reference to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed almost 800 people around the world in 2002-2003 after originating in China – triggered the wrath of police.
China was accused of trying to cover up SARS.
Li was forced to sign a letter on Jan. 3, saying he had “severely disrupted social order” and was threatened with charges.
A selfie of him lying on a hospital bed earlier this week wearing an oxygen respirator and holding up his Chinese identification card was being shared widely online.
“We deeply mourn the death of Wuhan doctor Li Wenliang … After all-effort rescue, Li passed away,” the ruling Communist Party’s People’s Daily said on Twitter.
Social media users called Li a hero, accusing authorities of incompetence.
“Wuhan indeed owes Li Wenliang an apology,” Hu Xijin, editor of the government-backed Global Times tabloid, said on social media. “Wuhan and Hubei officials also owe a solemn apology to the people of Hubei and this country.”
Li’s death was a “tragic reminder” of how China’s preoccupation with maintaining stability drives it to suppress vital information, Nicholas Bequelin, Southeast Asia regional director for Amnesty International said in a statement.
“China must learn the lesson from Li’s case and adopt a rights-respecting approach to combating the epidemic,” he said.
The death toll from the virus infection in mainland China reached 636, with 73 more recorded by Thursday and 3,143 new confirmed infections, taking the total to 31,161 cases, the National Health Commission said.
The new infections were down from Wednesday’s figure of 3,694 and 3,887 on Tuesday, but experts warned it was too early to identify a trend.
With Reuters report
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