Jiang Yanyong

Jiang Yanyong (4 October 1931 – 11 March 2023) was a Chinese physician who publicized a coverup of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in mainland China. Born into the Zhejiang Xingye Bank family, Jiang was the chief physician of the 301 Hospital in Beijing and a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party.

Jiang was under periodic house arrest due to his role in exposing the coverup of SARS outbreak.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to a report in The New York Times, Jiang was portrayed as a bad role model in Chinese educational material, for "harming the interests of the nation".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Education

Jiang attended Yenching University.<ref name="award 2004">Template:Cite web</ref> He chose a career in medicine after seeing an aunt die of tuberculosis. In 1952, he entered Peking Union Medical College.<ref name="award 2004"/>

Career

Jiang joined the People's Liberation Army in 1954 and was assigned to the 301 Hospital (PLA General Hospital) in Beijing. In 1987, Jiang was named the hospital's chief surgeon.<ref name="award 2004"/> He held the military rank of that is equivalent to a US Major General.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In June 1989, Jiang witnessed the results of the trauma inflicted on the students during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.<ref name="award 2004"/><ref name="WP 2004">Template:Cite news</ref>

While the SARS virus began spreading in mainland China in late 2002 and early 2003, the number of cases being reported in mainland China was drastically understated by the government.<ref name="award 2004"/><ref name="China Status 2007">Template:Cite web</ref> On 4 April 2003, Jiang emailed an 800-word letter to Chinese Central Television -4 (CCTV4) and Phoenix TV (Hong Kong) reporting that fact. Although neither of the two replied or published his letter, the information was leaked to the Western news organizations. On 8 April 2003, Jiang was reached by a journalist from The Wall Street Journal through telephone interview. Later the same day, Susan Jakes, a Time journalist in Beijing also contacted Jiang. Time published the striking news right away with the title of "Beijing's SARS Attack".<ref name="WP 2004"/> In this article, Jiang's letter was translated into English and, for the first time, the public was made aware of the actual situation in mainland China. This letter forced the resignation of the Mayor of Beijing and the Minister of Public Health on 21 April 2003.<ref name="China Status 2007"/> The Chinese government began to actively deal with the growing epidemic.<ref name="China Status 2007"/> Most public health experts believe that this act prevented the disease from reaching pandemic proportions.<ref name="award 2004"/>

In February 2004, Jiang wrote an open letter to Premier Wen Jiabao, several vice premiers, the Politburo members and many other members of the Chinese government.<ref name="award 2004"/><ref name="China Status 2007"/><ref name="State villian">Template:Cite web</ref> The letter asked for a re-examination of the responsibility borne by the Chinese government for the Tiananmen Square Massacre.<ref name="China Status 2007"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A number of media sources indicate that because of Jiang Yanyong's senior rank the topic of what to do with him was discussed by the Politburo.<ref name="China Status 2007"/>

On 2 June 2004, two days before the 15th anniversary of the massacre, Jiang Yanyong's family in California reported that he and his wife were missing from their house in Beijing after being arrested and placed under military custody.<ref name="WP 2004"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was released on 19 July 2004.<ref name="cbc 2004">Template:Cite web</ref>

In March 2019, he wrote to Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping calling the crackdown on student protests in Tiananmen Square a crime. Jiang's friends then reported that they lost contact with him and believed he was under house arrest.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In February 2020, it was reported that he "has been placed under de facto house arrest since last year".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Death

Jiang died of pneumonia on 11 March 2023, at the age of 91.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Awards

In August 2004, Jiang was awarded the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service. According to the board of trustees, "The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation recognizes his brave stand for truth in Mainland China, spurring life-saving measures to confront and contain the deadly threat of SARS".<ref name="award 2004"/>

On 20 September 2007, the New York Academy of Sciences gave Jiang the Heinz R. Pagels Human Rights of Scientists Award.<ref name="China Status 2007"/>

See also

• Li Wenliang

External links

• Jiang Yanyong on China Digital Times
• Time Magazine 2003 Biography of Jiang Yanyong
• Time Magazine contents of the 2003 letter about SARS
• BBC Article on the missing Jiang Yanyong
• Translation of the text of the February 2004 letter written by Jiang Yanyong asking for a reexamination of the Tiananmen Square massacre
• Amnesty International article
• Human Rights Watch article
• NY Times article detailing release
• CITATION for Jiang Yanyong at the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation website
• Philip P. Pan's article in the New Republic