World News
Hong Kong independent bookstores face arrests and closures under national security law
At least four shops were targeted by police over four months for allegedly selling seditious books, raising concerns among booksellers and readers over published material.
The short version
- Four independent bookstores in Hong Kong—Book Punch, Hunter Bookstore, Greenfield Book Store, and Have A Nice Stay—were targeted by police over a four-month period in 2024 for allegedly selling seditious publications.
- Greenfield Book Store announced it will close when its lease ends, while Have A Nice Stay planned to shut down due to financial issues and ambiguous legal boundaries.
- Hong Kong officials state the security laws are clear and vital for stability, rejecting calls for a banned book list and insisting that legal freedoms of speech and publication remain protected.
- Booksellers, landlords, and readers report growing uncertainty and fear of government retribution when deciding which political and historic titles can safely be sold or rented.
Key facts
- Hong Kong police targeted four independent bookstores—Book Punch, Hunter Bookstore, Greenfield Book Store, and Have A Nice Stay—between March and July 2024 over allegations of selling seditious publications.[Associated Press]
- Greenfield Book Store announced plans to shut down at the conclusion of its lease in July, and Have A Nice Stay also announced plans to close.[Associated Press]
- The arrests were made under a 2024 national security law, which followed a separate national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020.[Associated Press]
- Secretary for Security Chris Tang stated there will be no banned book list, maintaining that the law clearly outlines seditious intent and aims to prevent harm to national security.[Associated Press]
- The Hong Kong government stated that human rights, freedom of speech, and freedom of publication are protected, noting that the law allows for opinions and criticism of government policies.[Associated Press]
- Taiwanese publishers released six times more books about Hong Kong from 2020 to 2024 than in the preceding five years, according to Tunghai University sociology professor Cheng Tsu-Bang.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- The specific titles or publications considered seditious by authorities have not been publicly detailed by officials.[Associated Press]
- It remains uncertain how future Taiwanese book shipments to Hong Kong will be impacted, following reports of at least one logistics firm halting shipments to shops under investigation.[Associated Press]