Booksellers must ensure titles don’t violate national security laws: Chris Tang

Hong Kong's Secretary for Security, Chris Tang Ping-keung, has stated that booksellers are responsible for ensuring their publications do not contravene national security laws. This warning follows police raids on two independent bookstores, Have a Nice Stay and Greenfield Book Store, in Prince Edward and Mong Kok respectively, which resulted in the arrest of five individuals on suspicion of sedition. Tang also affirmed that the government will not create a list of banned books, explaining that such a list could be circumvented by offenders simply altering titles. The comments were made on Thursday, the day after the bookstore searches and arrests.

Hong Kong authorities have arrested five individuals, two men and three women, on suspicion of selling and displaying seditious publications. The arrests followed raids on two bookstores, Have a Nice Stay and Greenfield Book Store, in the Mong Kok district. Police stated the publications allegedly stirred up hatred against the government, judiciary, and law enforcement agencies, breaching the 2024 national security law. This marks the third round of arrests targeting independent booksellers, widely seen as a crackdown on dissent. Security chief Chris Tang emphasized booksellers' responsibility to ensure their stock does not endanger national security. The investigation was triggered by the discovery of allegedly seditious books shipped from overseas.

Hong Kong police arrested five individuals, including two men and three women, following raids on two independent bookshops. Authorities stated the suspects are accused of selling and displaying books deemed "seditious" that incited "hatred" against the government, judiciary, and law enforcement. The arrests are linked to suspected violations of national security legislation for "acting with seditious intent." Officers seized publications from the raided shops, one of which, Have A Nice Stay, was founded by former journalists and stocked literature on democracy and media literacy. The bookshop had recently announced its closure, citing financial reasons and uncertainty over acceptable content. The arrested individuals are being held for investigation, with potential penalties of up to seven years in prison if convicted.

Hong Kong national security police raided two independent bookstores, Have a Nice Stay in Prince Edward and Greenfield Book Store in Mong Kok, on Wednesday. During the operation, officers seized books and arrested multiple individuals. Both targeted bookshops are independently owned and specialize in humanities-related literature. The article does not specify the exact reasons for the arrests or the nature of the books seized beyond their subject matter.