An Independent Candidate's Story (Excerpts)

• Author: Qiao Mu (Michael)

As an independent candidate, I did not win the election, but got the second most votes (1300 ballots) after one-month campaign with my voluntary supporters.

I had NO intention to challenge the ruling party and the political system in the grassroots election. What I cared was the voter’s (faculty and students) opinion, livelihood and rights. However, I encountered increasingly enormous pressure and oppression from the very beginning. Many organized spreading rumors and political lies in SMS to defame my personality, motives and actions (mostly on social media), i.e., my campaign was a conspiracy and sponsored by the west media, and I was manipulated by the US embassy, and I will leave the university it is useless to vote for me.

I was shocked to find, in the last week before the vote day, all my social media (weibo/micro-blog on sina.com, blog, renren and my election video on tudou/56) were closed.) I tried to register new one many times on sina.com and renren.com, but all were closed for a short while. All my mobiles and phones were monitored. I was followed by two securities in the campus and two secret agents outside. Many students and faculty members...