2 exhibitors at Hong Kong book fair told by organisers to stop selling ‘sensitive’ titles

Sellers pull eight titles to ensure staff safety, but are not told by Trade Development Council if the books breached national security laws

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Leslie Ng of Bbluesky Publishing was asked to remove five titles from his booth. The travel book seen here by journalist Allan Au was one he fought to retain. Photo: May Tse

Published: 8:21pm, 21 Jul 2024Updated: 8:35pm, 21 Jul 2024

Two booksellers at Hong Kong’s annual book fair have said they were forced to stop selling eight titles deemed “sensitive” by organisers, even though they had sold copies of the books last year without any issue.

The exhibitors pulled the titles to ensure the safety of their staff, but accused the Hong Kong Trade Development Council on Sunday of not giving clear answers on whether the books were in breach of a Beijing-imposed national security law, as well the city’s complementary domestic national security law enacted in March this year.

Leslie Ng Chi-ching of Bbluesky Publishing said the council had asked him on Saturday to remove five titles from the shelves of his booth, including two by former opposition lawmaker Shiu Ka-chun and three by veteran journalist Allan Au Ka-lu.

“They only told me that I might have violated the exhibitor’s manual by selling the books, which had received complaints. But they neither told me which clauses of the manual I disobeyed nor explained why the books were sensitive,” he said.

Crowds at this year’s Hong Kong Book Fair in Wan Chai. Photo: May Tse

Ng added he had been warned by the council about the books a day before the fair started on Wednesday after selling two copies at last year’s fair without any objections.