But this is neither similar to SARS-CoV-2 nor to BANAL-236 or BANAL-52 (the close relatives found in Laos).

The OP said the WIV didn't sample in Laos. Just wanted to show it did.

Who knows what they sampled but haven't released - the WIV took down their virus sequence database in November 2019 and it has not been shared since.

I think, they didn't sample actively there. (That's what I read.) If someone shared samples with the WIV, this would have probably become known by now.

My problem is really with building evidence by "unknown unknowns": we don't know neither object, nor subject, nor circumstances, but, if we ignore all we do know, this is clear evidence. (Hum.)