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Happy birthday post for Bo Xilai deleted

This post made today to Sina Weibo wishes a happy birthday to jailed “princeling” Bo Xilai and announces heartfelt support for the ousted leader. It was deleted from Sina Weibo soon after it was posted.

The following post by “In the Storm – Seeking ia” (–风雨中–追随-ia), a user with more than 1,300 followers on Sina Weibo, was deleted from Weibo today, July 3, 2014, at 8:25 am. [See more deleted posts at the WeiboScope Search, by the Journalism and Media Studies Centre]
The post, which includes an image of jailed former Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai (薄熙来) and a message reading “Happy Birthday!” says:

Today is your birthday. The people stand with you! [heart] [birthday cake] [heart]

Bo Xilai, the “princeling” son of Bo Yibo, one of the Chinese Communist Party’s “eight immortals.” Bo Xilai was born on July 3, 1949.
The original Chinese post is below:

今天是您的生日,人民和您一起过![心][蛋糕][心]

David Bandurski

CMP Director

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