Retired Chinese military doctor, Jiang Yanyong, who exposed China's apparent effort to cover-up the severe outbreak of SARS epidemic in the Chinese capital, has said he dared to go against the mandarins since he wanted the world to know the truth.

"I am not afraid. I want the world to know the truth," Jiang was quoted as saying by Hong Kong's leading newspaper, South China Morning Post, which suggested that he should be given an international award for bravery.

Jiang, 72, wrote to the international media on April 6, challenging then Chinese Health Minister Zhang Wenkang's assertions that Beijing was "safe" and that the SARS situation was "under effective control."

Without his frank letter, the foreign media would not have been able to force officials to reveal the true extent of the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in Beijing.

Jiang's letter said the number of SARS cases in one Chinese People's Liberation Army-run hospital alone was more than four times higher than the total official figure of 22, and there had been at least 10 deaths - more than twice the official count of four as on April 19.