BEIJING: China has suspended or closed the social media accounts of more than 1,000 critics of the government’s policies on the Covid-19 outbreak, as the country moves to further open up.
The popular Sina Weibo social media platform said it had addressed 12,854 violations including attacks on experts and medical workers and issued temporary or permanent bans on 1,120 accounts.
The Communist Party had largely relied on the medical community to justify lockdowns, quarantine measures and mass testing, almost all of which it abruptly abandoned last month, leading to a surge in cases that have stretched medical resources. The party allows no criticism and imposes limits on free speech.The company “will continue to increase the investigation and cleanup of illegal content, and create a harmonious and friendly environment for the majority of users,” Sina Weibo said.
Criticism has largely focused on open-ended travel restrictions that saw people confined to their homes for weeks, sometimes without adequate food or medical care.
Anger was also vented over the requirement that anyone who potentially tested positive or had been in contact with such a person be confined for observation in a field hospital, where overcrowding, poor food and hygiene were commonly cited. — AP
