2023-05-03 04:57:05
【2023.5.3 China】
I’m just a guy who lifts the lid: Wuhan citizen journalist Fang Bin released, China’s complete containment of the truth about the epidemic
“Disappeared for 1,176 days, “Wuhan citizen” Fang Bin was finally released…” At the beginning of the outbreak of the epidemic in Wuhan, China, Fang Bin, a local citizen, recorded the tragic situation of the epidemic in Wuhan under the closure of the city through filming. As a result, on February 9, 2020 His whereabouts have been unknown since he was arrested by the police. After more than a thousand days, Fang Bin, who had been completely lost, suddenly got news. In April this year, the documents of Fang Bin’s secret trial leaked out, and it was later confirmed that Fang Bin was released safely on April 30 and is currently in Wuhan. What happened to the “citizen reporter” Fang Bin who bravely recorded the truth? After the release, the memories of the epidemic that have been completely “sealed” by the Chinese government, how much room is there for review and inspection?
Fang Bin was originally a citizen who ran a Hanfu store in Wuhan. At the end of 2019, the COVID-19 epidemic broke out in Wuhan. Fang Bin began to post videos of the local epidemic situation in Wuhan on YouTube and WeChat in January 2020. Fang Bin visited major hospitals and streets, exposing the chaos caused by the Wuhan epidemic and the fact that the real situation of the city was deliberately covered up. At the moment when the authorities are trying their best to control the information, Fang Bin has become the most important person at the beginning of the outbreak of the epidemic in 2020. One of the few “citizen journalists” who can let the outside world know about the situation in Wuhan.
At that time, lawyer Chen Qiushi, former China Central Radio announcer Li Zehua, lawyer Zhang Zhan who went to Wuhan from Shanghai, and others ventured into Wuhan and released the film. Including Fang Bin, these people were arrested one after another after February 2020. Chen Qiushi lost contact on the evening of February 6 when he was preparing to visit the Fangcai Hospital. Zhong was arrested on the spot by the Wuhan police,Li Zehua was searched by the police during the live broadcast on February 26Then on April 22, he publicly stated that he was forcibly quarantined, and Li Zehua’s whereabouts have been unknown since then; while Zhang Zhan was arrested on May 14 and sent back to Shanghai Customs for custody.
In the last video taken before Fang Bin was taken away, besides thanking the audience for their support, he also said:
“I’m just a guy who lifted the lid, a normal guy, a stupid guy.”
In the end, Fang Bin left a written sentence: “The whole people resist and return the government to the people.” After being arrested, Fang Bin lost contact and disappeared from the public eye completely. After these citizen journalists disappeared one after another, there was constant support from the outside world, as well as foreign media’s attention and reports. However, at the tense moment of the Chinese government’s high-pressure closure of the city, no more news was obtained. Fang Bin’s family was also forced by the authorities. The pressure did not dare to speak out.
Where did Fang Bin go? Is it safe? From February 9, 2020 to 2023, when China has fully unblocked, there is no news about Fang Bin’s whereabouts. In April 2023, another “Secret CCP Document” was circulated on Twitter, the subject of which was written “Research Opinions on Relevant Issues Concerning the Legal Handling of the Defendant Fang Bin’s Picking and Provoking Trouble Case” and an approved document. According to records, Fang Bin was imprisoned after his arrest, and was secretly sentenced to three years in prison by the Wuhan Municipal People’s Court in 2021 for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. During this period, Fang Bin was dissatisfied with the verdict and appealed, but all were rejected.
The final ruling held that Fang Bin “used the epidemic to fabricate facts, fabricate false information, publish false statements, record false videos and spread them on the information network”, which constituted the crime of picking quarrels and provoking trouble. The authenticity of the leaked documents is unknown, but it is rare for new news to appear after Fang Bin disappeared for more than 3 years, and then “Radio Free Asia” also indirectly confirmed it through a local insider in Wuhan in a report on April 24. Fang Bin was sentenced to be dealt with.
Not long after, Fang Bin, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly had news again—it was rumored that Fang Bin would be released from prison on April 30 and temporarily moved to live in Beijing. Media including “Radio Free Asia”, “Deutsche Welle” and “BBC” have confirmed that Fang Bin, a Wuhan citizen, was released from prison on April 30, 2023, and 1,176 days have passed since his arrest and release.
Fang Bin was sent to Beijing immediately after his release to meet his son who lives in Beijing, but Fang Bin was sent back to Wuhan without knowing the reason; Deutsche Welle said that “Fang Bin The son felt embarrassed and did not let Fang Bin stay.” Radio Free Asia got clues that the Wuhan police originally planned to send Fang Bin back to his relatives in Wuhan. The pressure from the unit” and sent back to Wuhan.
As of May 3, it was known that Fang Bin had returned to Wuhan and was under surveillance, but the exact whereabouts and exact physical and mental condition were still unknown. “BBC” did not get in touch with Fang Bin’s family, but according to insiders, “Fang Bin is in good health.” Abusive and traumatized.
What happened to Fang Bin in the past three years? There is no official information to confirm the experience during the detention period and the secret trial process, and the parties concerned may not be able to express their true feelings to the outside world.
Chen Qiushi, a citizen journalist who also disappeared and was released before, appeared without warning on September 30, 2021 at the YouTube live broadcast of “Beijing Fighting Maniac” Xu Xiaodong. After disappearing for 601 days, he was finally able to appear publicly. I didn’t talk much about my days, but surprised the outside world by transforming into a “charity fighter” with boxing as my new career. As for Zhang Zhan, who was detained in Shanghai, a hunger strike occurred during the period, but until now there is no more news update.
The irony is that after China’s extreme blockade caused chaos in various places in 2022, there was a social impact of the White Paper Movement, and the final raid announced that it will fully liberalize and lift all blockage restrictions from January 8, 2023——Since then The Chinese government has set the main theme of “victory in the fight against the epidemic”, and all the past epidemic prevention has become history.
On the first anniversary of the closure of Wuhan in 2021, the restarted Wuhan will no longer mention any tragic past events during the epidemic, but how many deaths were caused by the epidemic at the beginning, and how many human-made problems were there during the closure? All kinds of questions that should be made public have disappeared under the strong pressure of the government.The tragic situation of the epidemic that Fang Bin has personally experienced may also pass away with the wind-by 2023, the current epidemic will be circulated on the Chinese Internet communityScreenshot of history textbook for middle school studentsfound that the epidemic has been “inscribed in the annals of history”, as written in the middle school textbook:
“At the beginning of 2020, the new crown pneumonia broke out suddenly. Our country insists on the supremacy of the people and the supremacy of life, and launched a people’s war against the epidemic. The positive results have created a great anti-epidemic spirit of putting life first, sacrificing one’s life, respecting science, and sharing a common destiny.”
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