On Wednesday, Hong Kong’s national security police conducted raids at two independent bookstores, seizing various book collections and arresting five individuals on suspicion of sedition.
According to a government statement, the authorities accused two men and three women of possessing items with “seditious intention” and distributing publications containing “seditious content.” The state claims these materials were designed to “incite hatred” against the Hong Kong government, the judiciary, and law enforcement agencies.
This operation marks the third recent crackdown targeting independent bookstore owners, reflecting an intensifying scrutiny of literature in the city. Under the 2024 national security law, the charge of “seditious intention” carries a potential prison sentence of up to seven years.
While police declined to name the specific establishments or provide further details on Thursday, local media outlets identified the shops as Have a Nice Stay and Greenfield Bookstore, both small independent retailers located in Kowloon.
Have a Nice Stay was established and is managed by local journalists, some of whom were formerly affiliated with Stand News, an independent online outlet that was forced to close following a 2021 police raid. Earlier this week, the bookstore announced its closure, scheduled for August 30, citing financial difficulties and the current “social climate.”
“Looking at the overall economic situation in Hong Kong, we can only take a pessimistic view: it is becoming increasingly difficult to carry on,” the shop stated in a notice posted on Instagram.
The notice further emphasized that the staff’s capacity is limited, making it impossible to read and vet every book to ensure none are deemed “problematic.”
Pro-Beijing media in Hong Kong, such as Wen Wei Po, have increasingly targeted independent bookstores, accusing them of publishing content that “blatantly smears” the Chinese and Hong Kong governments and encourages civil resistance.
This recent activity aligns with a broader government effort to monitor local media and booksellers.
Yalkun Uluyol, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, noted in a statement that the government recently barred Elmbook and Luckwin bookstores from participating in the Hong Kong Book Fair.
The crackdown follows several high-profile arrests, including two employees at Hunter Bookstore last month and four at Book Punch in March, both under similar sedition allegations. According to Mr. Uluyol, both stores were cited for carrying a biography of Jimmy Lai, the jailed pro-democracy media mogul who recently received a significant sentence for national security offenses.
Human Rights Watch also reports that authorities have initiated tax audits against at least six independent bookstores since late 2023. Experts suggest these measures represent an attempt to suppress dissent in the wake of the 2019 anti-government protests.
“Independent bookstores are among the few remaining spaces where people can encounter ideas, build social ties and sustain an intellectual public,” said Victoria Hui, an associate professor specializing in Chinese politics at the University of Notre Dame. “Targeting both an established bookseller and one founded by journalists displaced by the media crackdown fits a broader pattern of dismantling Hong Kong’s civil society.”
In a recent message to their customers, the team at Have a Nice Stay expressed that they no longer felt capable of “fulfilling our mission.”
“Even if a book contains views one finds objectionable,” the notice concluded, “it is still worth reading.”