WUHAN, China (AP) – The message went into a bouquet of chrysanthemums left by a bad guy in the back of Wuhan Central Hospital to pay tribute to a Chinese complainant doctor who died of coronavirus a year ago. It was simply the number one Bible verse: Matthew 5:10.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” says the verse.
On Sunday, a year ago, Dr. Li Wenliang died from the virus first detected in this Chinese city. A small stream of people marked the anniversary with visits to the hospital on Saturday, some leaving flowers.
The 34-year-old ophthalmologist was one of eight whistleblowers whom local authorities punished early on for “spreading rumors” about a SARS-like virus in a social media group. His situation, which was eventually made public in the media, made him a powerful symbol of the dangers of going against official messaging in China.
The Chinese audience hugged Li, whose presence online had painted a picture of a normal person. His wife was pregnant and would soon become a father. He sent the “rumor” because he wanted to warn others.
The audience also saw how he got sick from the disease that warned them, eventually got worse and died.
Chinese state media initially reported Li’s death on the night of February 6, 2020, but the outlets quickly withdrew their reports. A few hours later, in the early hours of the morning of February 7, Wuhan Central Hospital announced his death.
The Chinese mourned his death, both online and offline. Mourners was carrying flowers to the hospital, while online some people were furious and demanding freedom of speech, publications that were quickly censored.
Li’s death seemed to pose a challenge to the central government, as public anger grew.
“A healthy society should not have just one type of voice,” Li had said in an interview with Chinese business magazine Caixin last year.
Central government authorities conducted an investigation into Li’s death and concluded that the officer who punished the doctor should be reprimanded. One police officer received a demerit, while another received an official warning, state media later reported.
At the end of the investigation, the authorities published a Questions and Answers, in which they noted: “He was a member of the Communist Party, not a so-called ‘person who was against the system.’ He said those who labeled him so.” enemy forces “.
Since then, the epidemic has been largely controlled on China’s borders, and the narrative has shifted to a triumphant one. China has just released a film – “Days and Nights in Wuhan” – celebrating China’s official line that the measures it took, including the unprecedented closure it imposed on the city, bought a precious time for the world to prepare for the pandemic.
This victorious narrative has been further highlighted by the devastation the pandemic has caused in many other countries. However, many have questioned China’s response to the virus and its level of transparency in the first few weeks.
It wasn’t until last month that China finally allowed a WHO team to enter the country to investigate the pandemic.
Wuhan, for the most part, has returned to normal, with shopping malls and crowded streets, and there is little visible evidence of the suffering the city suffered. Still, some of its residents are crying quietly.
Li’s death remains a sensitive issue and his family has refrained from conducting media interviews. Although his Weibo profile has been left out, there has been no large-scale public memorial.
The person who left the verses of the flowers and the Bible on Saturday refused to be interviewed, saying it was inconvenient.
Another couple who laid a bouquet at the front of the hospital, plainclothes security said they carried their flowers to the back of the building, where there was a garden.
On Saturday evening he had deposited a small collection of bouquets, some with messages firmly planted in the flowers.
“Thank you, Dr. Li Wenliang,” said one.
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Associated Press photographer Ng Huan Guan contributed to this report. Wu reported from Taipei, Taiwan.