BEIJING: Hundreds of Chinese Internet users have paid tribute to “martyr” doctor Li Wenliang, who first blew the whistle on the coronavirus outbreak, in the wake of a dramatic reversal of strict COVID-19 rules by the government.
Li was in a group of doctors in the central city of Wuhan who warned on social media of a new SARS-like disease spreading in December 2019, and was reprimanded by police for spreading “rumours”.
He later died of the coronavirus, triggering an outpouring of grief and anger on a scale and intensity rarely seen in China.
And he remains a potent symbol of frustration with the government’s suppression of independent voices.
Nearly three years after his death, his profile on China’s Twitter-like Weibo received hundreds of comments after officials on Wednesday announced a nationwide loosening of hardline COVID-19 restrictions.
“A hobbit like you is indispensable, ordinary and small but resolute and brave, unintentionally becoming a hero … and a martyr,” said one commenter.
“Those who blow the whistle are always worth remembering,” wrote another. “I look forward to a more transparent society.”
Source: CNA