Hot Topics: Hong Kong public libraries are clearing shelves of sensitive books – here’s why some are worried

Hong Kong’s public libraries have been ramping up efforts to take books off the shelves if they pose potential national security risks. Books by the controversial artist Zunzi, who draws political cartoons, were in the first group of titles that were removed from library shelves.

Public libraries in the city began removing books after Beijing imposed the national security law in 2020. Last month, audit officials demanded that they more quickly examine materials for security risks. Then, libraries stepped up their actions.

Last month, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu defended these actions, saying: “These books are accessible to people in private bookshops. If they want to buy them, they can still buy them.”

However, the Post checked 29 chain bookstores and independent bookshops. It found that books about Beijing’s 1989 crackdown on student protesters at Tiananmen Square had been removed. Others that were removed included titles by prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy figures, such as the late Democratic Party leader Szeto Wah, former Civic Party member Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee and former democrat Roy Kwong Chun-yu.

Books about the 2019 social unrest were available at one-third of the bookstores surveyed. Some of these titles were stacked in a pile in a corner.

The libraries’ actions have affected schools. Some anxious educators removed potentially sensitive books from their shelves, such as George Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984. It has also worried local booksellers and publishers, who said they might publish their works in Taiwan instead.

Jayson Yu is a 34-year-old independent bookseller. Since public libraries stepped up clearing their shelves, Yu said that more customers had come to his Littlelittlebooks store looking for challenged titles.

“The government’s action is like sounding a siren not to take the freedom to read for granted,” he added.

Staff writer

Question prompts:

• When did Hong Kong public libraries start to remove politically sensitive books from their shelves?

• Based on information from Context, how has the removal of books affected the local community?

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Question prompts:

• What kind of place is depicted in the illustration above? What does “out of print” refer to?

• Using your own knowledge and Context, why might politically sensitive books be out of print one day in Hong Kong?

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• Culture minister Kevin Yeung says it is common practice to remove potentially problematic books from shelves before reviewing them

• He adds that the books will be back on shelves if their contents pass government checks

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department, which runs the city’s 71 public libraries, stepped up efforts last month to root out publications contrary to national security as demanded by government auditors.

Books flagged as potential risks can return to library shelves if they pass government checks to make sure the titles do not have content violating the Beijing-imposed national security law, the city’s culture minister has said.

“We are currently reviewing the content of public library books based on suggestions from the Audit [Commission’s] report. It is also a common practice to remove books first once we receive complaints or when we discover the books are illegal or threaten national security,” Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung told reporters.

He explained it was usual for the authorities to take titles out of circulation after concerns were raised – even before any conclusions were drawn about their contents.

“The purpose of this is to ensure people cannot borrow these books and be affected by them,” he added.

The government’s criteria for library books include a stipulation that they must not breach legislation, including the national security law. They should not conflict with the moral standards and mainstream values of society and not promote violent or lewd conduct, the minister said. Yeung did not specify a timeline, but said the authorities aimed to complete reviews “as soon as possible”.

“Once we find that the book’s contents are in line with the standards, we will put them back on the shelves for public circulation. But if the contents do not meet standards, we will keep the book off the shelves for good,” he added.

The authorities have said they would not release a full list of the removed titles on national security grounds.

With Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu defending the libraries’ actions and insisting the challenged publications were still available at bookshops, critics suggested he did not address whether the city’s freedom of access to information would be undermined if censorship standards were not transparent.

Staff writer

Question prompts:

• According to News, why are politically sensitive books removed from library shelves before conclusions are drawn about their contents?

• How far do you agree that the libraries’ actions will have an impact on the city’s freedom of access to information?

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• Member of Public Libraries Advisory Committee also says books about city’s social movements should not be censored, as long as they are factual accounts

• Committee member adds authors should be informed if their books are removed and offered an explanation

Chui Yat-hung is an adviser on the Public Libraries Advisory Committee which advises the government on the development of public libraries. Chui pointed out that Hong Kong’s public libraries should establish a mechanism for disclosing the books removed from their shelves and explain the reasons for the decision. This could allow authors of censored titles a chance to appeal.

He said that books about local social movements should not be censored if they were factual accounts of political events, rather than subjective ones.

“They are history after all,” he told a radio programme, admitting it could take time to formulate fair judgments on historical events, but argued books that documented incidents factually without featuring incendiary comments should not be removed from public libraries.

The lack of transparency in the ongoing action by public libraries to root out works contrary to national security also sparked concerns among educators. Two school principals, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were confused about whether they could make books removed by authorities available to students.

“The list keeps growing. Could there be an inquiry system for schools to check the suitability of books in question?” a kindergarten principal asked.

Chui believed it would be more desirable if the authorities listed the books being removed and provided the reasons behind the decisions so people would know where the red line was.

“The authors should be informed if their books are removed and be offered an explanation,” he said, adding that an appeal or review mechanism should also be put in place. However, he acknowledged the government risked promoting discussions about books it hoped to censor if it disclosed the titles it pulled from shelves.

Another committee member said discussions at previous meetings centred on strategies to promote reading and facility upgrades. He expected members would bring up the issue of improving libraries’ dissemination of information on the removal of books in the committee’s next meeting.

Staff writers

Question prompts:

• To what extent do you agree that the list of challenged books should be disclosed?

• Should all books about local social movements be censored? Use Context, News and Issue to support your answer.

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• Beijing’s 1989 crackdown: also Tiananmen Square crackdown. In 1989, students and civilians gathered at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to protest against corruption and demand greater political freedom. On June 4, the Chinese military opened fire on the protesters. Reports have suggested that hundreds were killed, possibly more.

• freedom of access to information: one’s right to receive, seek and impart information

• George Orwell: a British author known for his dystopian novels, including Animal Farm and 1984, which critique totalitarianism and authoritarian regimes

• independent bookstore: a bookstore that is not part of a larger chain. Independent bookstores tend to reflect the interests of their specific local communities and connect with readers on a personal level.

• national security law: passed on June 30, 2020, it criminalises any act of secession, subversion, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces

• 2019 social unrest: a series of protests that began in opposition to a proposed extradition law that would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to the mainland, among other jurisdictions. The demonstrations escalated into a wider anti-government movement that resulted in increasingly violent clashes between protesters and police across the city.

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Context:

• When did Hong Kong public libraries start to remove politically sensitive books from their shelves? The public libraries began removing books after Beijing imposed the national security law in 2020. In May, the libraries stepped up their efforts after audit officials demanded that they speed up examining materials for security risks.

• Based on information from Context, how has the removal of books affected the local community? The libraries’ action has caused some anxious educators to pull potentially sensitive books from their school shelves, including George Orwell’s classics, Animal Farm and 1984. It also has had a chilling effect on local booksellers and publishers, who are considering getting their works published elsewhere. The general public will have trouble looking for these titles in the city.

Cartoon:

• What kind of place is depicted in the illustration above? What does “out of print” refer to? Based on the cashier desk and the shelves, this is a bookstore. “Out of print” likely refers to titles that are no longer being printed by publishers.

• Using your own knowledge and Context, why might politically sensitive books be out of print one day in Hong Kong? If local publishers end up getting their works published in Taiwan, these titles will end up going out of print in Hong Kong. Also, if booksellers and libraries are not stocking their shelves with politically sensitive titles, then publishers will not be able to earn money from printing them, and they will go out of print. (accept other reasonable answers)

News:

• According to News, why are politically sensitive books removed from library shelves before conclusions are drawn about their contents? To ensure people cannot borrow these books and be affected by them before the authorities can determine if the contents are in line with the government’s standards.

• How far do you agree that the libraries’ actions will have an impact on the city’s freedom of access to information? I agree that the libraries’ actions will undermine the city’s freedom of access to information as the policy lacks transparency and the general public is will struggle to access publications that are considered against the national security law. (accept all reasonable answers)

Issue:

• To what extent do you agree that the list of challenged books should be disclosed? To a large extent, I agree that the list of challenged books should be disclosed because this allows people to understand where the “red line” lies and bookstores can decide on the types of books to stock. // I disagree that the list of challenged books should be disclosed because discussion of the challenged publications will be promoted and come to wider attention within society, which may harm social harmony. (accept all reasonable answers)

• Should all books about local social movements be censored? Use Context, News and Issue to support your answer. Those books are factual accounts of events that are part of Hong Kong’s history. The general public should be able to learn about them through these publications and discuss them.