Hong Kong Arrests Bookstore Owner and Journalist Under National Security Law

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Two Arrested in Sham Shui Po

On Wednesday, officers from Hong Kong's National Security Department detained two people — a 33-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man — during an enforcement operation in the Sham Shui Po district.

The woman has been identified by multiple news outlets as Leticia Wong Man-huen, owner of Hunter Bookstore and editor-in-chief of Status Quo, a magazine that publishes interviews, essays, and reporting on Hong Kong society and culture. Wong is also a former political reporter for the local newspaper Sing Tao Daily.

Hong Kong's government confirmed the arrests in a statement on Thursday but did not name those detained.

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What Police Say They Found

According to police, the two individuals are suspected of displaying items with seditious intent and selling publications that contain materials inciting hatred against the Hong Kong government, the judiciary, and law enforcement agencies. Officers also accused them of receiving money transfers from foreign political organizations.

Among the items seized was a copy of The Troublemaker, a biography of former Apple Daily publisher Jimmy Lai, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in February 2026. Officers also removed from the shop window the lyrics of a Cantonese protest song — a symbol closely associated with the 2019 pro-democracy movement.

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Part of a Broader Pattern

This is not an isolated case. In March of this year, Hong Kong authorities arrested four employees of another bookstore, Book Punch, for allegedly selling seditious publications, including the same biography of Jimmy Lai.

The current arrests took place exactly one week before July 1 — the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to Chinese rule in 1997. Under Hong Kong's Basic Law, the city was guaranteed a high degree of freedom for 50 years, including freedom of the press.

The two are being detained under a homegrown national security law passed in 2024, which came in addition to a law imposed by Beijing following the pro-democracy protests of 2019.

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International Outcry

Press freedom and human rights organizations have reacted sharply.

The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Hong Kong authorities to immediately release Leticia Wong and to stop treating publishing activities as threats to national security. "The arrest of a journalist and editor over items sold through an independent bookstore shows Hong Kong authorities are expanding national security laws ever deeper into the city's publishing sector," said CPJ Asia-Pacific Director Beh Lih Yi.

Elaine Pearson, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, stated that the arrests show what she called the absurdity of Hong Kong's national security regime — arguing that even selling books and organizing talks is now being treated as sedition. "As Beijing tightens control over the city, what is lost is Hong Kong's openness and diversity of thoughts and opinion," she said.

Mark Clifford, the author of The Troublemaker, put it bluntly: "These arrests aren't about public safety — they're about censorship and fear. When authorities target booksellers for carrying a biography, they're sending a message that even peaceful ideas and documented facts are no longer safe. A government that fears a book fears the truth."

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The Slow Disappearance of Hong Kong's Freedoms

Hong Kong was once one of Asia's most vibrant centers for free expression, home to outspoken newspapers, independent publishers, and lively political debate. That era is rapidly fading.

Since the imposition of the national security law in 2020, dozens of journalists, activists, and politicians have been jailed. Media outlets including Apple Daily and Stand News have been shut down. Now it appears that even small, independent bookstores are no longer safe.

As the July 1 handover anniversary approaches, the arrests send a clear message: in today's Hong Kong, a book on a shelf can be enough to land its seller behind bars.

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Sources:

1. Reuters (via Internazionale) – Hong Kong arrests booksellers suspected of selling 'seditious' publications: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/06/25/hong-kong-arrests-booksellers-suspected-of-selling-seditious-publications
2. Associated Press (via oskaloosa.com) – Hong Kong police arrest booksellers on suspicion of selling seditious publications: https://www.oskaloosa.com/news/national_news/hong-kong-police-arrest-booksellers-on-suspicion-of-selling-seditious-publications/article_3537b598-f1a2-56dc-8790-108ff2135c3f.html
3. The Japan Times – Hong Kong arrests two for allegedly selling 'seditious' material: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/06/25/asia-pacific/crime-legal/hong-kong-arrest-seditious-material/
4. Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) – Hong Kong arrests magazine editor in sedition probe tied to independent bookstore: https://cpj.org/2026/06/hong-kong-arrests-magazine-editor-in-sedition-probe-tied-to-independent-bookstore/
5. Human Rights Watch (via Japan Times) – Statement by Elaine Pearson, Asia Director: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/06/25/asia-pacific/crime-legal/hong-kong-arrest-seditious-material/

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