[Ip-health] News: China's Top AIDS Activist Missing; Arrest Is Suspected (August 29, 2002)

[Kate Krauss]

New York Times

September 4, 2002

Missing AIDS Activist

China's Top AIDS Activist Missing; Arrest Is Suspected (August 29, 2002)

To the Editor:

Our global AIDS community is shocked by the disappearance of Wan Yanhai
("China's Top AIDS Activist Missing; Arrest Is Suspected," news article,
Aug. 29).=20

Dr. Wan has shown extraordinary courage and perseverance in his efforts to
fight the spread of AIDS in China. Recently he came to Washington to receiv=
e
the 2001 Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights on behalf o=
f
Dr. Gao Yaojie, who had herself not been permitted to travel to the United
States to accept the award. His courage in telling her story =8B and in
speaking out on behalf of the thousands infected with H.I.V. who have falle=
n
victim to the financial interests of some Chinese provincial officials =8B
could very well have put him in harm's way.

We must all continue to tell the victims' stories if we are to trigger
action that will stop the march of this disease across China. Denial and
greed feed the explosive spread of AIDS globally, and efforts to silence th=
e
honest voices of AIDS activists work against all of humankind. =A0
=20
NILS DAULAIRE
President, Global Health Council
Washington, Aug. 30, 2002