Sina bars access to late Chinese medic’s Weibo page that is beacon for COVID anger
The Weibo account of Li Wenliang, the Chinese doctor reprimanded after he tried to warn of the dangers of COVID-19 and who later died from the disease, has been restricted after a new rule by the social-media platform’s operator that prevents other users accessing, sharing or posting comments on accounts of people who have died.
Sina, which owns the Twitter-like microblogging site, claimed the rule introduced on Thursday was intended to protect the privacy of the deceased. However, many Chinese internet users accused the company of targeting Li’s account, which has more than 1.5 million followers.
Working in Wuhan, the epicenter of the global coronavirus epidemic, Li was among eight medics who were reprimanded by the Wuhan Public Security Bureau for “spreading rumors” in the early stage of the outbreak.
Li’s Weibo page went viral after he posted a letter he received from the authorities criticizing him and detailed his experience being interrogated by police. Described as the “coronavirus whistleblower” on the mainland, Li later died from the virus in February this year, aged 34.
Calling Li the “hero of the pandemic,” U.S. magazine Fortune ranked him as this year’s greatest leader in April.
“If the pandemic has a face, it’s the mask-clad visage of Dr. Li,” the magazine said. “Dr. Li’s bravery — both in the face of the coronavirus and the state — inspired China and ultimately the world.”
Following his death, Li’s page became what Chinese netizens call a “Wailing Wall,” where they would leave a comment or a post criticizing the authorities.
That has fueled speculation that the new policy was especially aimed at Li’s account. “I don’t know whether I can say anything here anymore,” one netizen posted on his page.
As Li’s name was missing from a commendation ceremony held in Beijing on Aug. 8 to honor about 1,000 medical workers who helped fight the epidemic, many people paid tribute to Li on Weibo.
“You are the people’s hero,” one person said.
“The one worth remembering is gone, and those who should really be damned are still smiling,” said another.
As a result, more than a million comments have appeared on Li’s Weibo page, making him the top trending topic on the platform.
Fortune also said Li’s Weibo “stands in rebuke to anyone who does not believe that the voice of one can be the difference between the life or death of thousands.”
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