Police in Hong Kong have intensified their national security crackdown, focusing on independent bookstores. On Wednesday, national security police raided two bookstores in Kowloon, confiscating boxes of books and detaining five individuals for suspected sedition.
According to a government statement, the police accused two men and three women of displaying items with ‘seditious intention’ and selling publications deemed to incite hatred against the Hong Kong government, judiciary, and police. This sedition charge carries a potential prison sentence of up to seven years.
Local media identified the affected bookstores as Have a Nice Stay and Greenfield Bookstore, both known for their independent stance and located in Kowloon. The crackdown is part of ongoing efforts by authorities to suppress dissent under the national security law enacted in 2024, which has increasingly targeted literature.
Have A Nice Stay, founded and operated by former journalists of Stand News, announced its impending closure by the end of August due to financial strain and adverse social conditions. The bookstore attributed the decision to deteriorating economic conditions in Hong Kong, expressed in a notice shared on Instagram.
Hong Kong continues to face challenges as authorities intensify actions against institutions and individuals perceived to oppose the government.
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