Hong Kong police arrested a bookstore owner and three staff members on Tuesday for allegedly selling 'seditious' publications, including a biography of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai. According to multiple reports, the arrests took place at Book Punch store in Sham Shui Po, where authorities seized books under Article 23 of the national security law.
Key Takeaways
Hong Kong police arrested a bookstore owner and three staff members for allegedly selling 'seditious' publications, including a biography of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai. Authorities seized books from Book Punch store in Sham Shui Po under Article 23 of the national security law. The arrests highlight ongoing crackdown on dissent as government gazettes new amendments to implementation rules of Beijing-imposed laws.
The owner of the bookstore, Pong Yat-ming, and three female staff were accused of selling copies of The Troublemaker, a biography of Lai by Mark Clifford. Lai was sentenced to a 20-year jail term in February for collusion with foreign forces and sedition.
A police spokesperson stated that authorities will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law. Clifford, now based in New York, expressed his concern over the arrests, calling it a 'sad and ironic commentary' on free expression.
The arrests come as part of an ongoing crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong. The city government recently gazetted new amendments to the implementation rules of Beijing-imposed national security legislation, allowing customs officers to seize items deemed to have 'seditious intention'.
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