Stop Shanghai’s Covid-prevention excesses, academics urge in online appeal
- University professors say some action has been unconstitutional and officials should recognise the public’s rights
- Weibo account of leading advocate Tong Zhiwei suspended after call posted online
The letter circulated on social media for a number of hours before it was censored. Tong’s Weibo account, which had more than 400,000 followers, was also suspended.
He said that, for example, there was no law to support the demands of neighbourhood staff and police who in one viral video ordered a whole building of people into centralised quarantine because of one positive case.
Furthermore, he said the local government had no right to ask residents to give up their keys, so that medical staff could enter their flats for disinfection. The right to residency was protected by the constitution, he said, and illegal searches or entrance was prohibited.
“Pandemic prevention needs to be balanced with ensuring people’s rights and freedoms,” he wrote.
“Local governments and officials need to act strictly according to the constitution and laws, and cannot destroy the rule of law for convenience.”
Tong confirmed with the South China Morning Post that he had written the letter, but declined to comment due to the sensitivity of the matter.
In 2012, at a conference, Tong called Bo’s “Chongqing Model” – a sweeping campaign against organised crime and increased security and police presence in the city – “red populism in nature”.
Tong was also active online during the Wuhan lockdown in 2020, using his influence on Weibo to share posts of locals appealing for medical help.
Shanghai has been in a strict lockdown for more than a month. During this period, members of the public have been extremely vocal about inconveniences caused by the restrictions and chaotic management, sometimes in life-and-death situations.
In March, a Shanghai nurse died of asthma after her own hospital denied her entry, citing Covid-19 prevention measures.
There have been some discussions about whether pandemic measures have been excessive, but top leaders have repeatedly stressed the importance of adhering to the “dynamic zero-Covid” policy.