Crackdown on Independent Bookstores in Hong Kong

Hong Kong authorities have taken a significant step towards stifling dissent in the Asian financial hub by raiding two bookstores and arresting five people on suspicion of selling seditious publications.

The latest operation, which took place on Wednesday, targeted Have A Nice Stay, a bookshop founded by former journalists, and Greenfield Book Store. The police seized boxes from both locations and took away several individuals, including two men and three women, on suspicion of breaching the 2024 national security law.

This is the third round of arrests linked to independent bookstores in Hong Kong, following similar operations in March and June. The new police statement said an investigation showed that the five people were suspected of displaying seditious materials and selling seditious publications on the premises. The publications’ content includes stirring up hatred against the city’s government, judiciary, and law enforcement agencies.

According to the police, the case was referred by customs officials after the discovery of allegedly seditious books in a batch of goods shipped to Hong Kong from overseas. The bookstores were closed during their usual opening hours on Wednesday, and calls to Greenfield and a founder of Have A Nice Stay were unanswered.

Have A Nice Stay had already announced its decision to shut down on August 30, citing financial difficulties and an elusive red line. Hong Kong was once known for its freedom of publication and freedom of expression, with some Chinese residents crossing the border to buy books deemed too politically sensitive on the mainland.

Lam Wing-kee, the owner of Causeway Bay Books until his death earlier this month, made international headlines in 2016 when he revealed that he was held by Chinese authorities after crossing from Hong Kong to the city of Shenzhen. Four others affiliated with the bookstore in Hong Kong disappeared in late 2015.

The current situation in Hong Kong has raised concerns about the city’s civil liberties, which Beijing promised to maintain for 50 years after its return to China in 1997. Following political changes after anti-government protests in 2019, independent bookstores have been operating in an even more challenging environment.

Authorities say the national security laws are crucial for the city’s stability, but critics argue that they are being used to stifle dissent and silence opposition voices. In March, police arrested the owner and staff of the independent Book Punch store, reportedly on suspicion of selling seditious publications. They included the biography of former pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in his national security case.

In June, Hong Kong police arrested two booksellers on suspicion of selling seditious publications and receiving funds from foreign political organizations. The city’s Secretary for Security, Chris Tang, has said that the government would not set up a list of banned books, saying it would be pointless to implement in reality.

The national security laws have been a topic of controversy in Hong Kong, with many fearing that they will be used to restrict freedom of speech and expression. The recent arrests have sparked concerns about the impact on the city’s literary scene and the ability of independent bookstores to operate freely.