Second citizen journalist vanishes in Wuhan

A citizen journalist reporting on the epidemic in Wuhan has disappeared, activists said, the second to vanish in days amid tightening controls on information in China. Fang Bin, a seller of traditional 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.

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

Fang had posted videos online of in Wuhan's overcrowded hospitals, including relatives mourning their 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fang told the 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.

"The root cause of the virus is tyranny. Everyone must understand this clearly," Fang said. "Only by eradicating tyranny can we completely eradicate the virus."

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