(Un)Fair Exclusion

At least three independent Hong Kong bookstores, including Bluesky (藍藍的天) and Boundary Bookstore (界限書店), were rejected from participating in the Hong Kong Book Fair, which began last week and closes today. The restrictive moves follow actions last year requiring these outlets to remove works by journalist Allan Au (區家麟) from their displays. The Wen Wei Po (文匯報), an outlet run by China’s central government in Hong Kong, published a commentary asserting that after five years of the National Security Law, authorities “can no longer allow so-called ‘independent bookstores’ and ‘independent book fairs’ to act recklessly” (胡作非為). The reference to “so-called” is a common growling tactic used by Chinese state media. In response, the excluded bookstores have organized an alternative Independent Book Fair this month.