Originally published March 30 2005
SARS whistleblower Jiang Yanyong is released from house arrest, but he still lives with restrictions
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Jiang Yanyong, the doctor who alerted the world to the severity of the SARS epidemic is China, has been released from prison after eight months of house arrest. Yanyong was imprisoned for writing a letter to the government asking for a reappraisal of the crackdown on the Tiananmen Square demonstrations that several hundred people dead. Though the doctor can travel more freely and see patients, he still lives under 10 restrictions, including a moratorium on talking to the press.
A doctor who blew the whistle on China's SARS cover-up in 2003 has been freed from months of house arrest but is barred from speaking to media or traveling abroad, a source close to the family says.
The government placed Jiang Yanyong, 73, in custody last year a few months after he wrote a bold letter to China's top leaders asking for a politically sensitive re-appraisal of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests crushed by the army in 1989.
He was allowed to go home after seven weeks during which he was forced to undergo "study sessions" but his movements were restricted for a further eight months.
"It's inconvenient to tell you about the other circumstances," she said when asked if there were other curbs on Jiang, a hero to many Chinese for exposing the SARS cover-up that led to the sacking of the health minister and the Beijing mayor and prompted accurate reporting of the epidemic.
China's decision-making Central Military Commission issued a directive on Tuesday "agreeing to remove measures taken against retired cadre Jiang Yanyong", a source close to the family told Reuters.
But 10 restrictions were placed on Jiang, including curbs on speaking without permission to Chinese and foreign reporters, traveling overseas and attending activities at the invitation of foreign groups or individuals, said the source.
"He and his family were warned against writing or discussing circumstances of the period during which he was investigated," the source said, adding that Jiang was required to attend party study sessions and report his thoughts.
Analysts said a reversal of the official verdict that the 1989 student-led demonstrations were a "counter-revolutionary" rebellion was unforeseeable in the near future.
Zhao Ziyang, who was toppled as Communist Party chief for opposing the crackdown, died in January after more than 15 years under house arrest.
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