Second citizen journalist vanishes in Wuhan

A citizen journalist reporting on epidemic in Wuhan has disappeared, activists said, second to vanish in days amid tightening controls on information in China. Fang Bin, a seller of tritional Chinese clothing, stopped posting videos or responding to calls and messages on Sunday, said activists Gao Fei and Hua Yong, citing Fang's friends. His phone was powered off Wednesday.

Anor citizen journalist, Chen Qiushi, vanished on Friday. Non-sanctioned storytelling by Chen, Fang and ors about epidemic h been challenging ruling Communist Party's tightly policed monopoly on information on an unprecedented scale.

Fang h posted videos online of in Wuhan's overcrowded hospitals, including relatives mourning ir deceased relatives and patients lying in hospital beds.

Police came knocking on Fang's door on February 4 after he posted a video from Wuhan's No. 5 hospital showing bodies in a van waiting to be taken to a crematorium.

y confiscated his computer and cellphone, hustled him into a car and drove him to outskirts of city, where y questioned him for an evening before letting him go past midnight.

After that night, Fang barriced himself in his apartment, seething with rage and recording monologues venting against government's handling of epidemic.

death of a Wuhan doctor last week sparked outrage over government attempts to suppress speech, and its consequences. Police h accused Dr. Li Wenliang of spreing rumors after he raised alarm in December about outbreak, chilling discussion of virus threat.

Li's death emboldened Fang to criticize Chinese government even more frankly. day after Li's death, Fang broke down in front of camera.

"Li Wenliang died," Fang said, spreing his arms. Tears began welling in his eyes, and Fang began to sniffle. He turned away from camera. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice quivering.

"Today's pneumonia, epidemic in Wuhan, is not just a natural disaster but a man-me one – even more so a man-me one," Fang said. "y covered it up, y muffled Dr. Li Wenliang."

Fang told AP in an interview on February 7 that police were stationed by his apartment, and that he was worried it was only a matter of time before he would be detained again.

" root cause of virus is tyranny. Everyone must understand this clearly," Fang said. "Only by ericating tyranny can we completely ericate virus."

last video he posted was of a piece of paper reing: "All citizens resist, hand power back to people." That day, he vanished.