Hong Kong libraries witness mysterious purging of democracy books amid ongoing protests

Books written by Hong Kong pro-democracy activists have been mysteriously disappearing from libraries across the city. According to reports, the disappearance of pro-democracy literature comes just days after the Chinese government passed the new national security law that has been called ‘draconian’ by many activists and countries around the world.

Read: Hong Kong 'disappointed' Over Canada's Suspension Of Extradition Treaty

Chian advocates 'patriotic' reading

Among the books that seem to have disappeared from the shelves of libraries are Joshua Wong's writings. Wong is one of the city’s most notable activists and has actively taken part in the Hong Kong protests since 2019. Another author whose writings have reportedly disappeared is Tanya Chan, a famous pro-democracy lawyer.

The new national security law imposed on the Asian financial hub will bring radical changes and give much more control to Beijing over the city than ever before. The Chinese authorities have pushed back against the criticism and have claimed that the new law is required in order to bring back stability after Hong Kong experienced almost a year of pro-democracy protests that began last year.

Read: Canada Says It Will Stand By Hong Kong, Slams China For Passing Law In 'secretive Manner'

As per reports, while the Authorities have claimed that the new law will only affect a small minority of people in Hong Kong, fear has nevertheless spread throughout the city with reports of police arbitrarily arresting people just for shouting slogans advocating democracy and greater autonomy. Businesses that had previously supported the pro-democracy movement have now begun to distance themselves from the protest and remove any protest displays.

According to a Facebook post made by Joshua Wong, the new security law is just another tool for the Chinese government to regulate speech. The removal of his books as well and those of his contemporaries is being seen as a result of the new national security law.

Read: Hong Kong Journalists Scramble To Adapt To Security Law With Vaguely Defined Offences

Read: UK PM Boris Johnson Says Britain Has To Stand By Its 'friends In Hong Kong'