9 more books on Democracy banned: they 'threaten' national security
Their immediate withdrawal from public libraries in the city ordered. The censorship targets MPs Albert Ho and Tanya Chan, and writer Jie Yu. In July the first wave of censorship with the removal of Joshua Wong's texts. Government departments must be ready to silence the Democrats.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - The city authorities yesterday banned nine other books by democracy authors, deemed contrary to the law on national security. According to Apple Daily, the decision was made by the Department of Cultural Affairs, which ordered local public libraries to immediately withdraw the offending texts.
State censorship has targeted former Democratic parliamentarians Albert Ho and Tanya Chan, who each had two books withdrawn. Three books by political commentator Bruce Lam and two by Sino-American writer Jie Yu are also banned.
This is the second ban issued by the city administration on the distribution and circulation of texts considered inconvenient since the approval of the security law. The first nine volumes, including those of the democratic activist Joshua Wong, who is now in prison, disappeared from bookstores last July.
The provision, which entered into force on June 30, introduces the crimes of separatism, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Beijing imposed it to stifle the democratic movement, which since summer 2019 has been demonstrating for Hong Kong's autonomy from the motherland and for the maintenance of its liberal system.
The four authors caught in the censors’ headlights contest the decision of the authorities. They argue that the issues covered in their writings are also debated in Parliament by the pro-Beijing front. According to Ho, in the current political climate all government departments fear being criticized for not doing enough against the democrat camp.
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