Hong Kong Security Law: Pro-Democracy Books Removed From Libraries

A good argument can be made that books containing text and images inappropriate for children should be made unavailable to them. The argument for the removal of political books from public libraries is a much harder case to make.

In Hong Kong, the passage of the National Security Law went into effect last Tuesday. Since then, at least nine books have become unavailable or marked as "under review", according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper. They include books authored or co-authored by Joshua Wong, a prominent pro-democracy activist, and pro-democracy politician Tanya Chan.

The removals are an eerie reminder of the Nazi book burnings in Germany and Austria in the 1930s when books were targeted and burned for being subversive or representing ideologies opposed to Nazism.

Incidents in Hong Kong that would have been unimaginable before last Tuesday include:

• Business owners removed messages of support for the protest movement from their premises, fearful that they could be interpreted as attempts at inciting subversion
• Books were removed from public libraries in Hong Kong to be “reviewed” to see if they violate the new law
• Several leading pro-democracy activists stepped down from their roles. One of them, former student leader and local legislator Nathan Law, has fled the territory

The writer Joshua Wong said in a Twitter message that the new law, "imposes a mainland-style censorship regime [that is] one step away from ... actual book banning".

Wong added, “Although my books are published years before Hong Kong's anti-extradition movement, they are now prone to book censorship.”

The new security law gave Beijing enhanced powers in Hong Kong. It made inciting hatred of China's central government and Hong Kong's regional government criminal offenses.

Other aspects of the law included allowing closed-door trials, wiretapping of suspects, and the potential for suspects to be tried on the Chinese mainland. The legislation targeted secession, subversion, and terrorism with punishments of up to life in prison.

Acts of destruction, like the incidents seen during the 2019 unrest, sparked by a controversial extradition bill when damage to public transport facilities was a common occurrence, can be considered terrorism. Also, internet providers might have to hand over data if asked by the police.

Beijing points to the 2019 protests, that at times became violent between pro-democracy sectors versus the Hong Kong police, as the reason why the new law is necessary. Supporters said the law will help to restore order.

The Communist Chinese government also denied that the new law robbed Hong Kong of the unique freedoms that were guaranteed in 1997 when the British Colony’s sovereignty was handed back to China. This was the "one country, two systems" agreement that is supposed to last until 2047.

Ten people have been arrested which has resulted in widespread fear and uncertainty over the erosion of freedom caused by China’s will to enforce the new law.