Hong Kong police arrested two proprietors of the independent Hunter bookstore on June 24 on suspicion of sedition and money laundering linked to selling seditious publications and organizing talks inciting hatred against the government, judiciary, and law enforcement authorities [1, 2].
The suspects are 33-year-old Leticia Wong Man-huen, a former pro-democracy district councillor, and a 32-year-old local man [3, 1, 2]. Police seized seditious books and documents from the bookstore and the suspects' homes, including the biography "The Troublemaker" about jailed media mogul Jimmy Lai [1, 2]. Officers also removed lyrics of a Cantonese song referencing the 2019 democracy protests from the bookstore window [1, 2].
Authorities accused the suspects of receiving multiple remittances from foreign political organizations [3, 1, 2]. Under Hong Kong's 2024 national security law, they face up to seven years in prison for seditious intent and up to 14 years for money laundering [1, 2].
The suspects were released on bail on June 26 and must report back to police by July 24 [3]. Last July, Hunter bookstore hosted a fair featuring local independent publishers and opposition figures, which drew criticism from pro-Beijing media [3].
Similar actions were taken in March 2026 when four employees of another bookstore, Book Punch, were arrested for selling seditious publications including a Jimmy Lai biography [1, 2].
Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, condemned the arrests as "show[ing] the absurdity of Hong Kong’s national security regime: even selling books and organising talks is now considered ’seditious.’ As Beijing tightens control over the city, what is lost is Hong Kong’s openness and diversity of thoughts and opinion" [1].
Author Mark Clifford, who wrote "The Troublemaker," said the arrests "send a message that even peaceful ideas and documented facts are no longer safe. A government that fears a book fears the truth" [1].
Hong Kong enacted the 2024 national security law to supplement the Beijing-imposed law from 2020 amid ongoing suppression of pro-democracy activities [1, 2]. The next scheduled police report is due on July 24, when the suspects must appear again [3].
