Chinese Disciplined Doctor For Emailing About Corona Virus - What Will Happen Here?

A close Chinese-American friend showed me this document recently.  He explained it was the 'confession' letter of Li Wenjiang, the doctor who first notified his colleagues about the new virus.  He was 'confessing' to this act and promising to obey the laws.   I asked for an English translation which my friend has now provided.  (See below)

This has been on the internet a while, but I think it's important considering our president's assurances that (from the Hill)

"Trump said he was “not at all” concerned about the possibility of a pandemic.
“We have it totally under control,” Trump told CNBC. “It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control.”
“It’s going to be fine,” the president continued.
“We do have a plan, and we think it’s going to be handled very well,” the president told reporters. 'I think China’s in very good shape also.'”

The concern also arises from the message that Dr. Fauci at the CDC and an infections diseases expert sent to colleagues that he was told that all communications he makes about the virus go through the White House for approval.  I would note that Fauci and Trump have both denied that Fauci is being muzzled.



(If it's not clear, those red smudges are fingerprints.)

Translation:

Wuhan City Police Bureau, XXX Branch, Zhongnan Road StationLetter of Coaching and WarningName of the person whom is coached and warned: Li, WenliangSex: Male DOB. XXXIdentity card category and number: XXX Address (Location of the Official Household Registration): Wuhan City XXXXEmployer: Wuhan City Central HospitalIllegal behavior (time, location, participants, number of participants, issues on hand and consequence): On December 30, 2019, in the Wechat Group named “XXX”, announced the fabricated fact about 7 confirmed, diagnosed cases on Coronavirus from Huangnan Fruit and Seafood Market. Now, we follow the law to give you coaching and warning on your making false/fabricated statements on the internet. Your behavior seriously disturbed social order. Your behavior overstepped what the law permits, violating the regulation stipulated in the “People’s Republic of China Penalty Provisions on Security Management.” Your behavior is illegal!XXX [this is a name] hope you to cooperate and obey XXX’s coaching and advice. Can you stop your illegal behavior from now on?Answer: Yes, I can. We hope you will calm down and deeply reflect, and seriously warn you: if you stubbornly insist your opinion, do not show remorse, but continue to conduct illegal activities, then you will be sanctioned by the law! Do you understand?Answer: Yes, I understand. Name of the person whom is coached and warned: Li, Wenliang (signed). January 3, 2020.Name of the coach: XXX [this is a name]   Employer: Wuhan (Public Security) Bureau, XXX District, XXX Branch (Official Stamp). January 3, 2019 [2019 should be a typo]

I had some questions about the authenticity of the original document, even though I trust my source completely.  But this document is out there for many to see.  Here's a Business Insider article that includes the document.  

Today's LA Times has a long article about how the delay in dealing with the virus helped increase the death toll and how the lack of preparation led to medical workers dying - from the virus or from exhaustion caused heart attacks.  

It also mentions the doctor in this document - Li Wenjiang.  

Medical workers’ love for the motherland, Communist Party membership and self-sacrifice have become major propaganda themes after the death of a whistleblower, Dr. Li Wenliang , prompted unprecedented calls for transparency and freedom of speech in China.  (emphasis added)

 And how the government's praising of 'martyred' health care workers has met with a backlash on the internet.

"But some Chinese feel state media have turned medical workers into props.
One article by the Wuhan Evening News praised a 28-year-old nurse who went back to front-line work 10 days after a miscarriage, calling her a “warrior.” Many online commenters objected.
“Stop this type of propaganda! Stop putting unprotected medical workers on the front line,” one user wrote.
State channel CCTV also aired a report about a pregnant nurse only 20 days from her delivery date but still working in an Wuhan emergency ward, calling her a “great mother and angel in a white gown.”
Internet users, feminists and academics were furious.
“Hospitals should not be allowing a nurse who is nine months pregnant — or the one who’d had a miscarriage — to work. Their immune systems are weakened, and it’s highly possible that they will be infected with the virus,” feminist writer Hou Hongbin told the South China Morning Post.
Both nurse stories were deleted after the public backlash."

With all the intentional misinformation production in the US and elsewhere these days, it becomes harder for anyone to know what is

• True
• Speculation
• Misleading
• Intentionally misleading 

This sort of suppression of bad news behavior is very typical of authorities.  It certainly happened with Chernobyl, but it isn't limited to authoritarian governments.  The movie Jaws is a good illustration here.  As was Lyndon Johnson's hiding of US provocation that gave him the excuse to go to war against North Vietnam.  

This is an era where critical thinking skills are, well, critical.