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10 Wuhan professors signed an open letter demanding free speech protections after a doctor who was punished for warning others about coronavirus died from it
Photo by Anthony Kwan/Getty Images
- An open letter signed by 10 Wuhan professors argues that the Chinese government needs to enforce its own freedom of speech articles in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China.
- The letter follows the death of Li Wenliang, a Wuhan doctor who was reprimanded by police for "making false comments" after warning people about the Wuhan coronavirus – which he later contracted.
- The open letter, along with another letter signed by academics around China, demands that the government apologize to and compensate coronavirus whistleblowers and make Li a national martyr.
At the onset of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, local doctor Li Wenliang warned his medical school alumni group about the discovery of a SARS-like illness via the messaging app WeChat. He was then reprimanded by Wuhan police and required to sign a letter acknowledging he had made "false comments" on the Chinese internet.
Li's warning proved to be true, and the Wuhan coronavirus has now killed at least 720 people and infected more than 34,500 around the globe. While treating patients, Li, 34, contracted the virus himself and died on February 6.
After his death, academics around China signed open letters addressing the Chinese government. 10 Wuhan professors signed one letter demanding the government enforce its own freedom of speech articles in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, along with apologizing to and compensating 8 coronavirus whistleblowers.
Open letter by 10 Wuhan professors:
-enforce freedom of speech according to art 35 and 51 of the PRC Constit
-apologize to and compensate 8 whistleblowers
-recognize Li Wenliang as national martyr https://twitter.com/lizife/status/1225709764002209792 …
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Screenshots disseminated on Twitter by French professor Sebastian Veg, who teaches the intellectual history of 20th century China, are purported to be taken from the Chinese internet. They show the signatures of the professors, along with excerpts of the open letter, which cites Articles 35 and 51 in the Chinese Constitution.
