Book banned in China

A book about an independent campaign to win a parliamentary seat in China has been banned. The book, I Oppose -- A Political Career of a People's Congress Delegate by Zhu Ling, is about Yao Lifa, who became a grassroots democracy symbol and an inspiration for others with his candidacy. It was published in late October by Hainan Publication House, after several other publishing houses in China had been approached. The Propaganda department of the China Communist Party ordered the publisher to pull all copies from circulation and freeze all those in stock.

The publisher sought to keep a low profile prior to the ban by distributing the book to small privately owned bookstores. The book was not sold in Hainan province because it included descriptions of corruption and manipulation of elections by provincial and local officials. Its first print run was 15,000 copies, with more than 8,000 sold within a month. However, Mr. Yao himself was unable to read the book as he is under strict surveillance. Another independent parliamentary candidate was recently arrested as he was on his way to a polling station and released after voting ended.