Guizhou man who broke tragic story of dumpster boys sent on 'vacation'
Ex-journalist's blog on street children's death sees him forcibly deported to unknown location
A former journalist who broke the story of the deaths of five street children in Bijie, Guizhou, a week ago has been sent on "a vacation" by local authorities trying to contain the fallout from the tragedy.
Li Muzi, the son of Li Yuanlong, said his father had been taken away by the authorities at 1pm on Wednesday and put on a plane at Guiyang airport for "a holiday" at a tourist destination he did not want disclosed.
"My father told me he received several phone calls before he was taken away from home," said Li Muzi, who is studying in the United States. He keeps in contact with his father over the internet and by phone. "Apparently they are trying to prevent him from helping other reporters follow up on the incident."
The victims, all brothers or cousins aged nine to 13, died of carbon monoxide poisoning after lighting a fire in the bin to escape the cold, according to an initial investigation by the city government.
Follow-up reports by mainland media that accused the local authorities of failing to act on parents' pleas about the five missing boys for more than a week triggered a huge outcry.