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SARS Epidemic Remains Serious in China; Authorities Still Covering Up the Truth (Photo) China Exerts Pressure on WHO Not to Remove Taiwan from the List of Epidemic Regions before China On May 30, a quiet
business street in Beijing.
(Clearwisdom.net June 6, 2003) According to Taiwan National Security
Information, China's SARS epidemic is still very serious. A grim community
infection broke out in the Beiyuan Homestead in Chaoyang District in Beijing,
but Chinese authorities are still lying to the outside world to present a false
picture of normalcy. Meanwhile, China is exerting pressure on the World Health
Organization, requesting that Taiwan not be removed from the list of epidemic
regions before China.
According to Liberty Times reporter Zou Jingwen's report from Taipei
on June 6, the Taiwan National Security Committee held a meeting concerning SARS
among the assistants to high officials from various departments on June 5. In
this meeting, the National Security Bureau and Health Department respectively
reported that according to information obtained by the National Security Bureau,
China's epidemic is still serious. Although reports are seen on the situation in
coastal areas, information from inland areas remains a question mark, as WHO did
not dispatch teams to inland areas. Taking Datong City, Shanxi Province as an
example: according to information obtained by the Taiwan National Security
Bureau, the epidemic death toll is more than 70, but the Chinese government only
reported seven deaths.
Officials from the National Security Bureau also pointed out that an
infection in an entire community broke out in Beijing and the situation is quite
severe; however, China blocked the news. An infection broke out in the Beiyuan
Homestead in Chaoyang District, Beijing, but to hide the outbreak, patients were
sent to other places outside Beijing for treatment.
The epidemic is quite grim in Shenyang. The National Security Bureau's report
pointed out that currently, Shenyang is semi-quarantined. All high schools and
universities are closed and classes are suspended. Shenyang citizens need to
show their ID cards to go in and out of the city. Obviously, a serious situation
exists, but China's Health Department did not issue any related information.
As for Shanghai, officials said that Shanghai has its own criterion to
diagnose the disease. Cases specified as "probable" in Taiwan are only specified
as "suspected" cases in Shanghai. In order to reduce the SARS death toll, death
cases due to SARS are also reported as being due to other complications.
Officials said that not only is Taiwan aware of this, but the U.S. and Japan
have also received the same information about China's cover-up of the extent of
the epidemic. China controls all information flow, including media, but
overlooks mobile communications. Initially, information about Guangdong's
outbreak was spread through mobile messages.
Officials expressed that in addition to China not truthfully reporting the
cases, according to America's inquiry to WHO officials, it has been learned that
China has been exerting pressure on WHO to remove China from the epidemic region
list as soon as possible, and to not remove Taiwan from the list before China.
This behavior is reprehensible and totally irresponsible to the people of China and the rest of the world.
Posting date: 6/10/2003 |