The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) ordered the removal of nine titles from library shelves in Hong Kong, citing potential “security law violations.” This book banning includes titles by Bruce Lam, political commentator, Tanya Chan, ex-Civic Party lawmaker, Yu Jie, activist and writer, and Albert Ho, former Democracy Party chairman.
The latest controversial measures are just the latest in a long series of anti-democratic actions, following the national security legislation, which has since led to a crackdown, marked by the arrests of four students for social media posts, delayed legislative elections, the disqualification of 12 pro-democracy politicians, and issuance of international arrest warrants for six pro-democracy activists. We’d all have expected outrage if the pandemic wasn’t in full swing.
Now, as the world wakes back up, it’s clear that the “complete collapse of our constitutional system” is not just an epidemic situation. Enforcement of the new law is not just targeting the few “illegal and criminal acts.” Instead, it is an attempt to censor and implement a strategy of banning books, songs, and other forms of communication — to stop all protests about Hong Kong.
