Aids activist secretly detained by Chinese authorities

A prominent Chinese Aids activist who disappeared last month has been secretly detained for releasing a confidential government report on the spread of Aids, a friend of the man claimed yesterday.

Wan Yanhai, a former Health Ministry official, became internationally known for revealing that a blood-buying industry had helped to spread the Aids virus in the central province of Henan. He was last seen on 24 August in Beijing.

Mr Wan was picked up that day by China's secret police agency, the Ministry of State Security, said his friend and fellow activist Hu Jia. He said that he had learnt of the detention through private sources which he could not elaborate on.

The detention was also reported by the Human Rights in China group and the Committee to Project Journalists, both based in New York. They appealed for Mr Wan's release.

Mr Hu said officials told him Mr Wan was suspected of releasing state secrets – the report on Aids prepared for the Henan government. Mr Hu said he also suspected Mr Wan was detained as part of efforts to suppress dissent before a Communist Party congress scheduled for November. The detainee's family has not officially been told of his arrest.

China has begun to admit the extent of its Aids epidemic, but Beijing is suspicious of independent activists. One million Chinese will be infected with HIV by the end of this year.