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Hong Kong national security law
Hong KongSociety

National security law: Hong Kong Book Fair vendors double down on selling works by opposition figures despite complaints citing legislation

  • Politihk Social Strategic chairman Tang Tak-shing says he has filed complaints about eight books sold by Hillway Culture and Kind Of Culture
  • Books are either penned by opposition figures or about anti-government protests in 2014 and 2019

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Under Umbrella is one of the books named in the complaints by activist group Politihk Social Strategic. Photo: Dickson Lee
Sammy Heung
The organiser of the Hong Kong Book Fair has said it received complaints against publishers accused of breaching the national security law, but some vendors at the event are still proceeding with the sale of works penned by opposition figures.
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The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC), which is behind the fair, one of the largest of its kind in the world, sent letters on Thursday to Hillway Culture and Kind Of Culture informing them of the allegations.

Tang Tak-shing, chairman of pro-establishment activist group Politihk Social Strategic, said he had filed complaints about eight books sold by Hillway Culture and Kind Of Culture to the Office for Safeguarding National Security on Thursday.

The books are either penned by opposition figures such as Shiu Ka-chun or about the anti-government protests in 2014 and 2019. In the letter sent to Hillway Culture, which the Post read, A Journey Through the Brick Wall, 21 JUL 2019 and a third book about Hong Kong history were the subjects of the complaints. The latter two were not among the eight works that Tang singled out about, bringing the count of books that drew complaints to at least 10.

“Their contents are euphemisms of violence,” he said of the books related to the social unrest in 2019. “These books are biased as they did not interview the injured police officers. Some of their photos also romanticised violence.”

The council declined to comment on individual cases and said it would make a record of the complaints. It added that exhibitors, not the TDC, were responsible for ensuring the legality of the publications on display.

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Police also withheld comment, saying they would take action based on the relevant circumstances and the law.

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