Giving Compass' Take:

• Mia Swart explains how China is increasing human rights violations in the name of addressing coronavirus.

• How can funders work to advance human rights? What can be done to ensure that other countries do violate human rights while they address coronavirus? 

• Learn what donors can do about coronavirus. 

About 60 million people have been in forced quarantine in the central province of Hubei for nearly two months, as the government tries to fight the coronavirus outbreak that began in its provincial capital of Wuhan late last year.

By taking drastic and what some have called 'draconian' measures, China appears to have slowed down the coronavirus, but experts and advocacy groups worry it has come at a high cost.

“The case of Li Wenliang is a tragic reminder of how the Chinese authorities’ preoccupation with maintaining ‘stability’ drives it to suppress vital information about matters of public interest," Amnesty International's Regional Director Nicholas Bequelin said in a statement.

"China must adopt a rights-respecting approach to combating the epidemic. Nobody should face harassment or sanctions for speaking out about public dangers, just because it may cause embarrassment to the government.”

A facial recognition system that identifies masked people has been developed, apparently with 90 percent accuracy, and apps that decide whether a person poses a contagion risk and should be allowed into malls, subways and other public spaces have extended the government's already extensive system of surveillance and tracking.

Political commentator Einar Tangen says such moves are essential for a government facing such a crisis, even if they might appear unpalatable to people in Western democracies.

He believes the Chinese expect their government "to take control of the situation."

The government has also sought to control the narrative of the outbreak - showcasing health professionals toiling against the odds, hospitals built in hyper-speed and smiling patients cured of the disease.

Those who try to tell a different version of the story risk trouble.

Read the full article about human rights in China by Mia Swart at Al Jazeera.