According to the reports, the three books attempted to explain the Hong Kong democracy movement to children. The Hong Kong police were quoted as saying that the five “had conspired to publish, distribute, exhibit or copy seditious publications”.
Kristenn Einarsson, Chair of the IPA’s Freedom to Publish committee reacted: “Recent AFP reports from Hong Kong over book-related arrests are the latest developments to confirm that the new national security law is stifling the freedom to publish in Hong Kong. The arrests and freezing of accounts will undoubtedly have a chilling effect on more publishers in Hong Kong.”
IPA reacted in 2020 to reports that the new National Security Law had resulted in books being removed from public libraries and bookshops.