Hong Kong Bookstore 'Book Punch' Accused of Incitement [Reuters Yonhap News]

In Hong Kong, bookstore operators and employees have been arrested on charges of selling books, including a biography of anti-China journalist Jimmy Lai.

According to Reuters and Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily on the 25th, the Hong Kong Police Force's National Security Department arrested the operator of the bookstore 'Book Punch' in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong, and three employees.

It is understood that they have been charged under Article 24 of Hong Kong's Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which criminalizes the sale of publications with the knowledge that they are seditious.

Authorities also seized a large number of related books at the scene of the arrests. The confiscated books included Jimmy Lai's biography, 'Troublemaker'.

Jimmy Lai is the founder and owner of Hong Kong's leading anti-China media outlet, the now-defunct Apple Daily.

Western governments and human rights organizations have called for his swift release, as he is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for violating Hong Kong's National Security Law.

Mark Clifford, the author of 'Troublemaker,' served as a director of Next Digital, a media company founded by Jimmy Lai.

Clifford, who currently resides in New York, USA, told Reuters that he was unaware of the arrest and stated, "If it is true that selling a book about a person imprisoned for their journalistic activities and for promoting freedom of expression has become an act of sedition, it is very sad and ironic."

Following the arrests, a notice was posted on the bookstore's door stating, "We are closed for a day due to unforeseen circumstances."

It is known that in the past, this bookstore distributed free picture books criticizing the government and police, created by the 'Speech Therapists General Union,' which was designated as an 'organization inciting chaos in Hong Kong.' Five individuals who distributed these picture books were sentenced to 19 months in prison after being convicted of distributing seditious publications.

Sing Tao Daily reported that 'Book Punch' has been engaged in 'soft resistance' through various activities, including hosting screenings of anti-government films and inviting related figures, including this case.

'Soft resistance' is a term used by Hong Kong authorities to refer to indirect acts of resistance, and it has been controversial due to the significant room for arbitrary interpretation by the authorities for the purpose of punishment.

Closure notice posted in front of Hong Kong bookstore after operator and staff arrest [Reuters Yonhap News]