Three proprietors and staff members of Hong Kong independent bookstore “Stay Behind Bookhouse” were arrested by the Hong Kong Police National Security Department on the 15th, but were released on bail on the morning of the 17th.
According to reports from Hong Kong online media “Courtline” and “Collective Press,” the three arrested proprietors and staff of “Stay Behind Bookhouse” were released on bail and left the police station. One of the owners, veteran journalist Shum Wan-wah, left around 10:30 a.m., telling reporters to “care about colleagues' situations first.”
On the 14th, “Stay Behind Bookhouse” announced on Facebook that it would cease operations on August 30. On the 15th, it was raided by the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police, and three proprietors and staff were arrested. Another independent bookstore, “Fields Bookstore,” was also searched on the same day. In total, five people from the two bookstores were arrested.
The Hong Kong police recently stated that the National Security Department received a referral from Customs, indicating that a batch of goods shipped to Hong Kong from overseas contained books with seditious intent, leading to searches at two Mong Kok shops. Five individuals were arrested on suspicion of violating Article 24 of the “Safeguarding National Security Ordinance” for “committing acts with seditious intent out of seditious intent.” A “batch of books with seditious intent” was seized at the scene.
According to local media reports, the titles in question allegedly included “Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity and Belonging in the Xi Jinping Era,” published by Taiwan’s Rye Field Publishing. The author is Emily Feng, former China correspondent for NPR. The book describes her experiences and observations while reporting in mainland China between 2015 and 2022.
Mainland Affairs Council spokesperson: Suggest everyone buy and read it
Liang Wen-chieh, Deputy Minister and spokesperson of the Mainland Affairs Council, stated on the 16th that since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, freedom of expression and publication in Hong Kong has become increasingly restricted, and reminded Taiwanese residents in Hong Kong to be extra cautious.
As for “Only Red Flowers Bloom,” the book alleged to have “seditious intent,” Liang Wen-chieh commented, “This is a very good book—I recommend everyone buy and read it.” The book discusses how under Xi Jinping's rule, mainland Chinese lawyers, entrepreneurs, bookstore owners, and Hong Kong residents have been excluded or suppressed by a singular ideology.