Hong Kong authorities have arrested five people following raids on two bookstores, marking the latest development in an ongoing crackdown on independent booksellers. Police confirmed that two men and three women were taken into custody on suspicion of violating the 2024 national security law. The operation targeted two shops in the Mong Kok district, though police did not publicly name the specific businesses involved.
Visual documentation from local media outlets captured officers wearing vests marked with “Police” as they seized boxes from the premises of the bookstore Have A Nice Stay, which was founded by former journalists. A bookseller was observed being escorted away during the raid. A similar operation occurred just a few streets away at the building housing Greenfield Book Store, where officers were also seen removing boxes, according to footage from the online news outlet The Collective.
Authorities stated that the investigation revealed the five individuals were suspected of displaying and selling materials deemed seditious. According to the police, the content of these publications included efforts to incite hatred against the city's government, judiciary, and law enforcement agencies. Officials indicated that the case was referred by customs authorities after allegedly seditious books were discovered in a shipment of goods arriving from overseas, although specific titles were not disclosed. Both bookstores remained closed during regular business hours on Wednesday, and attempts to reach Greenfield Book Store and a founder of Have A Nice Stay were unsuccessful.
This incident represents the third round of arrests targeting independent bookstores this year, following similar police actions in March and June. These operations are widely viewed as efforts to stifle dissent within the financial hub. Have A Nice Stay had previously announced plans to cease operations on August 30, citing both financial challenges and the difficulty of navigating an "elusive red line."
The environment for independent booksellers has become increasingly difficult following the political shifts that occurred after the 2019 anti-government protests. While Hong Kong was once recognized for its freedom of expression and publication—with mainland Chinese residents frequently traveling to the city to purchase politically sensitive books—the landscape has changed significantly. In 2016, the disappearance and subsequent revelation by Lam Wing-kee, owner of Causeway Bay Books, that he had been held by Chinese authorities after crossing into Shenzhen, shocked the city. Lam, who passed away earlier this month, had been one of five individuals associated with the bookstore to disappear in late 2015.
Government officials maintain that the national security laws are essential for maintaining city stability. Chris Tang, the Secretary for Security, has previously stated that the government would not establish a formal list of banned books, arguing such a measure would be impractical to enforce. Previous enforcement actions this year included the March arrest of the owner and staff of the Book Punch store, reportedly for selling a biography of imprisoned pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, and the June arrest of two other booksellers for allegedly receiving funds from foreign political organizations.
Lam's account shocked many people in the former British colony, which Beijing promised would maintain its Western-style civil liberties for 50 years after its return to China in 1997.
