Another Silencing After 'Wuhan Reporter'? Sudden Deletion of Xi'an Lockdown Expos? Post

In Xi'an, Shanxi Province in northwest China, where the entire city was locked down due to COVID-19 confirmed cases, a volunteer wearing protective clothing is handing food to a nurse at a cancer hospital with restricted access.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A post exposing the reality of the lockdown in Xi'an, China, implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19, was suddenly deleted.

On the 9th, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency and others, Zhang Xue, a former investigative reporter for a major Chinese media outlet, had his original post titled "Chang'an (the old name of Xi'an) 10 Days" blocked from his official WeChat (China's version of KakaoTalk) account starting the previous day.

"Chang'an 10 Days" is a piece written from the perspective of citizens, not authorities, about the situation in Xi'an, a major Chinese city with a population of 13 million, which has been under lockdown since the end of last year. The post detailed the hardships faced by Xi'an residents during the city-wide lockdown.

After its release, "Chang'an 10 Days" attracted attention both inside and outside China as a second "Wuhan Diary."

Currently, clicking on the post on Zhang Xue's account shows a message stating that a report has been filed for violating the "Public Account Information Service Management Regulations," and "the related content cannot be displayed according to the law."

The WeChat management regulations include a clause stating that "official account users must not exploit sudden incidents to incite extreme emotions or engage in acts that disrupt the normal operation of (government or social) organizations and affect social harmony and stability."

Zhang Xue's account is also no longer available on the WeChat official account service.

Additionally, most posts related to "Chang'an 10 Days" that circulated on WeChat and Weibo (China's version of Twitter) have been deleted. Even a post by former Global Times editor Hu Xijin, who argued that the post should be embraced, was removed.

However, posts criticizing "Chang'an 10 Days" remain.

Regarding the deletion of "Chang'an 10 Days," some Chinese netizens expressed dissatisfaction. One user wrote on Weibo, "We must not forget that society is made up of many small individuals, and we are all small individuals."

They also said, "If 'Chang'an 10 Days' does not exist, who will raise their voice for the small individuals?"

Meanwhile, there was also an incident where a citizen journalist who reported on the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China, in early 2020 disappeared.

Citizen reporters Jang Jan and Cheon Chuseu, who directly covered the COVID-19 situation in Wuhan, China, in early 2020.
[Photo by Guardian, YouTube capture]

At that time, Chinese citizen journalist Chen Qiushi, a former local lawyer, posted videos on social media showing hospitals in Wuhan. Through the videos, he revealed the poor conditions of hospital wards and even secretly filmed in hospital funeral homes to highlight discrepancies between the actual death toll and the official figures announced by China.

He also appealed to the world for help, saying, "There are people dying without proper treatment. There is a shortage of masks and all medical supplies."

However, Chen Qiushi soon lost contact and disappeared without a trace. Later, his family reported that they only received notification from Chinese authorities that he was quarantined. News about his whereabouts, which had been unknown, resurfaced in the media in April of last year.

At that time, Hong Kong's Ming Pao reported that Chen Qiushi, who had been detained by authorities, was released and returned to his family after one year.

Later, in November of the same year, after being missing for about 600 days, Chen Qiushi appeared on the YouTube channel of his friend and mixed martial arts fighter Xu Xiaodong.

In the video, Chen said, "I have experienced a lot over the past 1 year and 8 months," adding, "There are things I can talk about, but there are things I cannot." He then said, "I believe you will understand."

There have also been cases where citizen journalists reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan were imprisoned.

In February 2020, Zhang Zhan, a citizen journalist and former local lawyer who reported on the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, criticized the authorities for locking down the city without providing sufficient information to residents.

Later, in December of the same year, the Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Court sentenced Zhang Zhan to four years in prison on charges of causing public disorder. Zhang has been on a hunger strike in prison to protest her arbitrary detention and the court ruling.

In this regard, Amnesty International, the world's largest human rights organization, demanded Zhang Zhan's immediate release. Amnesty International stated, "Zhang Zhan is at risk of losing her life," and "She must end her hunger strike and receive appropriate medical treatment."

They added, "Zhang Zhan, who should never have been imprisoned in the first place, is now at risk of dying in prison."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.