HONG KONG — Hong Kong police arrested a bookstore owner and three shopkeepers on Tuesday for allegedly selling “seditious” publications including a biography of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai, broadcaster TVB reported.
The owner of the Book Punch store Pong Yat-ming and three staff were accused of selling copies of “The Troublemaker”, a biography of Mr. Lai by one of his former business directors, Mark Clifford, TVB reported.
Mr. Lai, founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, was sentenced to a 20-year jail term in February for collusion with foreign forces and sedition in the city’s biggest national security case.
A police spokesperson, asked about the reported arrests, did not comment directly but said in a statement that police “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law”.
Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security Chris Tang did not respond to reporters’ questions. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law said it was inappropriate for her to comment as someone has already been arrested.
Asked whether the arrests could impact public reading habits, Ms. Law said “reading will continue to be promoted in Hong Kong”.
A notice outside the door of the bookstore read: “Resting for a day due to emergency, sorry for the inconvenience.”
Reuters could not immediately reach Mr. Pong for comment and could not determine whether Mr. Pong or any of the staff had been charged with any offense.
Mr. Clifford, now based in New York, was a former director of media group Next Digital owned by Mr. Lai. In response to questions from Reuters, Mr. Clifford said he was not aware of the arrests, but “if true, it’s a sad and ironic commentary that selling a book on a man who is in jail for his activities as a journalist, for promoting free expression, would be subject to sedition”.
Under a local national security law, known as Article 23, sedition is punishable up to seven years in jail and a maximum of 10 years if the act involves collusion with an “external force”.
Beijing imposed broader and more sweeping national security legislation on the city in 2020.
Facing criticism by some Western governments and international rights groups, Hong Kong and Chinese officials said new laws were needed to bring stability after months of pro-democracy protests rocked the city in 2019.
Two other independent stores announced temporary closures on Wednesday as word spread of the arrests among readers and supporters who said the booksellers have become vital outlets for civil society by hosting book talks and workshops.
A loose network of stores seeks to offer a broader range of political and social titles than those found in mainstream stores, some of which are controlled by Chinese state-owned Sino United Publishing.
In January, Mr. Pong pleaded not guilty to three charges of operating an unregistered school after he held a Spanish class at the bookstore last year. The case is ongoing.
On Instagram last year, Book Punch said it had canceled several activities due to anonymous complaints.
Another independent shop, Hunter Bookstore, said earlier that it faced regular visits and checks by various government departments as well as tax probes.
Mount Zero, an independent bookstore in Sheung Wan on Hong Kong Island, closed in 2024, citing visits by authorities after a string of anonymous complaints on its social media.
In a further crackdown on dissent, the city’s government on Monday gazetted new amendments to the implementation rules to the Beijing-imposed law, which would allow customs officers to seize items that are deemed to have “seditious intention”.
The moves also mean police with warrants from a magistrate can now demand that people suspected of breaching the national security law provide phone or computer passwords or face jail and a fine.
Hunter Bookstore on Instagram said it would remain open but it urged the government to maintain an updated public list of publications that are deemed to be seditious.
“Books and publishing are not just independent businesses, it is the cultural foundation of the entire society,” it said. — Reuters
