Dr. Li-Meng Yan has made the rounds within the American media and elsewhere. She claims that she has solid evidence that the coronavirus is a man-made pathogen, that the Chinese Communist Party released it intentionally, and that all will be revealed as she releases more information. She promised bombshell reports. She has released some of her data, which is still considered dubious, despite her credentials. In the meantime, social media has censored her on various platforms.
Twitter has suspended her account. Granted, her allegation hasn’t really been panned out. It’s still an allegation. Yet, even allegations can warrant the wrath of Beijing. Dr. Yan went on Tucker Carlson last night to offer an update and she said authorities had arrested her mother, yet did not provide a date as to when this arrest occurred (via Newsweek):BREAKING: Chinese Virologist Dr Li Meng Yan says tonight on @TuckerCarlson that the Chinese Communist Party media is pleased & publicly celebrating the positive COVID diagnosis of President of the United States Donald J. Trump, the First Lady Melania Trump, & White House aides.
— Blair Brandt (@BlairBrandt) October 7, 2020
An academic who claimed—without evidence—that the Chinese government was behind the manufacturing and intentional release of SARS-CoV-2 now says her mother has been arrested in retaliation for her speaking out to U.S. media.
Li-Meng Yan, a former Hong Kong University post-doctoral student, fueled internet conspiracies last month after asserting the virus that causes COVID-19 was "not from nature" while pushing a pre-print report filled with baseless assertions about the origins of the virus.
Saying more evidence would be released soon, Yan continued: "This is not the first time my mom and my other family members [have been] arrested by the [CCP]. I cut off most connection with my family directly. This is the fourth time my mom, 63 years old, teacher, got arrested by Chinese Communist Party.
"I'm the only child in my family. My mom has done nothing wrong. The only thing they arrest my mom for, and send her to Beijing, is because I tell the truth of COVID-19, which [they] feel angry about. What they have done is try to make me silent."
Yan did not provide further information about the exact time and date of her mother's arrest by Chinese officials, and Carlson did not press for further clarification.
Are we being taken for a ride? Perhaps, but it’s still a story to keep an eye on given we’re still dealing with COVID.