Editorial: Free Dr. Jiang

ASIANPERSPECTIVE, Vol. 28, No. 2, 2004, pp. 277-278. Editorial* FREE DR. JIANG Every so often a wrong is done in world affairs that cannot be allowed to pass without comment. In a world where violence, corruption, and repression on a grand scale are commonplace, perhaps it is the act against one person that draws our attention. The Chinese government's arrest of Dr. Jiang Yanyong is such an instance. Dr. Jiang is the physician who, in April 2003, coura­ geously reported the coverup of the SARS outbreak in China. Working at a People's Liberation Army hospital, he challenged the Ministry of Health's contention at that time that there were only a handful of cases. Without his action, for which he was briefly jailed, the coverup of the epidemic might have lasted for months. The consequences would surely have been the further spread of SARS in China and other parts of the world. As it is, China was forced to open up to the World Health Organization, and an aroused world opinion led the Beijing authorities to release Dr. Jiang. But the story does not end there. Dr. Jiang was under con­ stant official surveillance, according to Human Rights Watch. Recently, the authorities arrested Dr. Jiang again, along with his wife (who is also a doctor), this time because the 72-year old had the temerity to write a personal letter in which he called upon the Chinese Communist Party to confess its mistakes in cracking down on protesters in Tiananmen Square fifteen years ago. No charges have been filed in his case. A concerted call by Asia scholars may make a difference in gaining Dr. Jiang's and his wife's release. He should be hailed by Beijing as a hero for publicizing an epidemic that might otherwise have claimed hundreds, even thousands more lives, in China and Editorials reflect solely the views of the signer, and not necessarily those of the sponsoring universities. Comments are welcome, and may be addressed to mgurtov@AOL.com. 278 Free Dr. Jiang worldwide. As for his protest over the 1989 "incident," as the PRC authorities like to call it, by now many Chinese intellectuals have said the same, and it is hardly novel—nor should it be deemed threatening—to call upon the new Chinese leadership to recant its pronouncement then that the protest constituted a "counterrevolu­ tionary rebellion." This is supposed to be the new China, open to the world, devoted to reform, cosmopolitan. The imprisonment of Dr. Jiang hurts China's image and is a grave injustice. He, his wife, and all others detained during the recent roundup before the June 4 anniversary, should be immediately released. Mel Gurtov Editor-in-Chief ...