Pure as the driven snow

The doctor who blew the whistle on China’s SARS epidemic has been detained for writing a letter to the party leadership, urging them to admit that what they did at Tiananmen in 1989 was wrong:

The security officials have forced Jiang to write daily statements and watch videotapes as part of the indoctrination process, sources familiar with the situation said, and they have scrutinized his datebook and other materials for information to use against him. One source described the process as a milder version of the high-pressure, sometimes violent tactics that Chinese security agents have successfully used to force members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement to give up their beliefs.

On June 15, several hours after CNN broadcast a telephone interview with the couple’s daughter, Jiang Rui, and the Associated Press moved an interview with their son, Jiang Qing, the authorities released Hua. She immediately urged both children to stop talking to reporters, saying she had been told that Jiang’s fate would depend in part on their silence, sources close to the family said.

Hua did not return phone calls to her home. One person close to the family said the 72-year-old retired research doctor is terrified and appears to have been traumatized by her experience. Military officials visit her every day to remind her not to speak to reporters, the person said.

Yesterday, I linked to a rant claiming China’s faboo and all the bad press it receives is out of jealousy. I find it hard to locate a motivation for making this up. Maybe the evil West is jealous that China attempts brainwashing with a better success rate.

(From The Agonist.)

• 6 Jul 2004