Hong Kong’s national security police conducted raids on two independent bookstores on Wednesday, seizing boxes of books and arresting five individuals on suspicion of sedition.
The arrested parties, two men and three women, are accused of showcasing items with “seditious intention” and distributing publications containing “seditious content” aimed at provoking hatred against the Hong Kong government, judiciary, and police, according to a government statement.
This marks the third occurrence in recent months where independent bookstore owners have been detained as part of a wider focus on literature under national security measures. The 2024 national security law is being leveraged to quash dissent, with the “seditious intention” offense carrying a potential seven-year prison sentence.
Police have not disclosed the names of the bookstores involved, nor provided further details upon inquiry on Thursday. However, local media identified the affected shops as Have a Nice Stay and Greenfield Bookstore, both small, independent establishments located in Kowloon.
Have A Nice Stay was established by journalists, several of whom previously contributed to Stand News, an online publication shut down following a police raid in 2021. The bookstore recently announced its impending closure on August 30, citing financial challenges and the prevailing “social climate” among other reasons.
“Assessing the economic outlook for Hong Kong, we see the situation as increasingly bleak: sustaining operations is becoming more challenging,” a notice posted on Instagram stated.