Security Chief Urges Booksellers to Monitor Content Following Recent Raids
Hong Kong official warns booksellers on security – Hong Kong’s leading security authority issued guidance to local booksellers on Thursday, emphasizing that retailers must verify their inventory does not threaten the nation’s security. This directive came shortly after law enforcement detained five individuals connected to two separate bookshops in a coordinated operation.
Chris Tang, who serves as the Secretary for Security, addressed journalists gathered at the legislative building to clarify the government’s position. He stated that the legal framework is unambiguous regarding the obligations of those in the publishing trade.
If you are a bookseller, you have the responsibility to make sure the books you sell won’t endanger national security.
Tang drew an analogy to everyday commerce to illustrate his point. He compared the duty of booksellers to that of food vendors, noting that both must ensure their products are safe and compliant with regulations.
It’s equal to, for example, when you are selling food, you need to ensure the food won’t cause a stomach ache and is not either poison or illegal.
When questioned about the possibility of creating an official catalog of prohibited titles, Tang explained that such a list would not necessarily aid enforcement efforts. He indicated that authorities prefer to target publications that deliberately aim to undermine the country, rather than relying on a static compilation.
We will not let criminals off the hook like this.
The Latest Wave of Arrests
The Wednesday police action marked the third series of detentions focused on independent book retailers within a four-month span. Critics have expressed growing unease about the state of free expression in the city, pointing to what they describe as an ambiguous boundary that limits speech.
During the raid, officers targeted Have A Nice Stay, a shop established by several former news reporters, alongside the Greenfield Book Store, which has operated for many years. According to police reports, the five detainees faced allegations of exhibiting seditious materials and distributing publications containing seditious content.
A formal statement from law enforcement claimed that the contested materials incited hostility toward the municipal government, the judicial system, and police forces. Have A Nice Stay had previously declared its intention to cease operations on August 30. In a message shared on social media, the store cited financial strain and uncertainty about the regulatory boundaries as contributing factors to its closure.
The bookstore noted that it lacks the capacity to examine every volume in its collection and cannot reliably determine which titles might be considered problematic under current guidelines.
Broader Context of Enforcement
This incident follows similar actions taken earlier in the year. In March, authorities apprehended the proprietor and employees of Book Punch, an independent shop, on suspicion of distributing seditious publications. Among the items in question was a biography of Jimmy Lai, a prominent pro-democracy media figure who received a twenty-year sentence in connection with national security charges.
Additionally, two booksellers were taken into custody in June for allegedly selling seditious publications and accepting financial support from overseas political entities.
Reactions from Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing considers part of its territory, have highlighted concerns about the situation. President Lai Ching-te posted on Facebook that Hong Kong’s freedoms of expression and publication are facing mounting pressure.
Every independent bookstore is vital in guarding free thought.
Liang Wen-chieh, who serves as deputy minister of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, reported that certain publishers from Taiwan have begun to self-censor their selections when exhibiting at Hong Kong book fairs, reflecting the cautious atmosphere surrounding the industry.
