Hong Kong Police Raid Two Bookstores and Arrest Five; Authorities Decline to Issue Banned-Books List

Hong Kong police raided Have A Nice Stay bookshop in Prince Edward and Greenfield Book Store in Mong Kok on July 15 and arrested five people on suspicion of displaying seditious materials and selling seditious publications. The operation marked the third round of arrests targeting independent bookstores in four months.

Police said the arrests followed a referral from the Customs and Excise Department after it intercepted an overseas shipment of books deemed seditious.

Have A Nice Stay announced it would close on August 30, citing financial difficulties and an elusive red line that prevented it from reviewing every title. The store, founded by former journalists, said it lacked the ability to judge what books might be problematic.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang stated on July 16 that booksellers have the responsibility to ensure the books they sell will not endanger national security.

He compared the duty to ensuring food sold does not cause illness or violate the law and said compiling a list of banned books would not support effective enforcement. Earlier rounds included the March arrest of the owner and staff at Book Punch store, which sold a biography of former pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, and the June arrest of two booksellers on suspicion of selling seditious publications and receiving funds from foreign political organizations.

Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison in his national security case.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said Hong Kong's freedom of expression and publication are under pressure. Mainland Affairs Council deputy minister Liang Wen-chieh added that some Taiwanese publishers have self-censored their book lists when participating in a Hong Kong book fair.