An Honest Man is Hard to Award

October 10, 2007

Jiang Yanyong broke government secrecy to reveal the true extent of 2003 outbreak of SARS in Beijing. He was praised by Chinese media at the time. But in 2004, the military surgeon wrote to Chinese leaders asking them to reassess the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations, which rulers have declared an anti-government riot. After writing the letter, he was placed under house arrest for several months. Now, the government has barred him from traveling to the United States to receive a human rights award.