HONG KONG — Hong Kong national security police have arrested five people linked to two independent bookstores on suspicion of engaging in acts with “seditious intention,” in the latest operation targeting the city's shrinking independent publishing sector amid an ongoing national security crackdown.
Police said the arrests followed a referral from Hong Kong customs after officers intercepted a shipment of books imported from overseas that authorities alleged contained publications with “seditious intention.” Officers subsequently searched two bookstores in the Mong Kok district, identified as Have a Nice Stay and Greenfield Book Store, and detained two men, aged 37 and 57, and three women between 30 and 59 years old. Boxes of books were removed from both premises during the searches, according to local media footage.
In a statement, police alleged the books promoted hatred toward the Hong Kong government, the judiciary and law enforcement authorities. The force did not publicly identify the specific titles involved.
Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang said booksellers have a responsibility to ensure the publications they stock do not endanger national security. He rejected suggestions that authorities should publish a formal list of prohibited books, saying doing so could make enforcement more difficult.
The operation is the third police action involving independent bookstores this year. Earlier investigations in March and June also centered on allegations that booksellers displayed or sold publications deemed seditious under Hong Kong's national security legislation.
The arrests prompted criticism from rights advocates. Human Rights Watch called on democratic governments to press for the booksellers' release, arguing that sedition laws are being used to restrict peaceful expression. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te also expressed concern, saying freedom of thought and expression should be protected.
Hong Kong authorities have consistently defended the national security laws imposed since 2020, along with the locally enacted security legislation that took effect in 2024, saying the measures are necessary to restore stability following the 2019 anti-government protests. Officials maintain that the laws protect rights and freedoms while targeting only conduct that endangers national security.
Independent bookstores in Hong Kong have declined in number since the introduction of the security laws. Have a Nice Stay, founded by former journalists, had already announced plans to close, citing financial pressures and uncertainty over where legal boundaries for published material are drawn. As of Thursday, the five suspects remained under investigation, and police had not announced any formal charges.
