Hong Kong police have taken into custody a bookstore owner and three shopkeepers on Tuesday, accused of selling publications deemed "seditious," including a biography of the imprisoned pro-democracy activist and media tycoon Jimmy Lai. The arrests, reported by broadcaster TVB, target the owner of the Book Punch store, Pong Yat-ming, and his staff for distributing copies of The Troublemaker, a biography authored by Mark Clifford, a former business director of Lai.
Background on Jimmy Lai and Legal Context
Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was sentenced to a 20-year prison term in February for charges of collusion with foreign forces and sedition, marking one of Hong Kong's most significant national security cases. Lai has opted not to appeal his conviction, potentially setting the stage for political negotiations regarding his release.
Police Response and Bookstore Closure
A police spokesperson, when questioned about the arrests, refrained from direct comment but issued a statement affirming that authorities "will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law." Following the incident, a notice was posted outside the Book Punch store, reading: "Resting for a day due to emergency, sorry for the inconvenience." Reuters was unable to immediately contact Pong for comment or ascertain whether any charges have been formally filed against him or the staff.
Reactions from Mark Clifford and Human Rights Watch
Mark Clifford, currently based in New York and a former director of Lai's media group Next Digital, expressed unawareness of the arrests but remarked to Reuters that "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." In a further statement to the Guardian, Clifford warned, "Anyone who thinks it is business as usual in Hong Kong should take note of the government's actions against a bookseller and against what was one of the region's pre-eminent media companies."
Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, condemned the situation, stating, "Hong Kong has become increasingly dystopian. First the authorities jailed the newspaper publisher, then they arrested the person selling books about him. Who's next? The authorities' insatiable drive for political security will only create more insecurity for itself."
Expansion of National Security Measures
Under Hong Kong's local national security law, Article 23, sedition carries penalties of up to seven years imprisonment, extendable to ten years if collusion with an "external force" is involved. This follows broader national security legislation imposed by Beijing in 2020, which Hong Kong and Chinese officials argue was necessary to restore stability after extensive pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Recent Legal Amendments and Implications
In a continued crackdown on dissent, the Hong Kong government gazetted new amendments on Monday to the implementation rules of the Beijing-imposed law. These changes empower customs officers to seize items perceived as having "seditious intention" and allow police with magistrate warrants to demand passwords from individuals suspected of breaching the national security law, with non-compliance risking jail time and fines.
The arrests and legal developments underscore the tightening grip on free expression in Hong Kong, raising concerns among human rights advocates about the erosion of civil liberties in the city.
