Disappeared Booksellers and Free Expression in Hong Kong 1
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Writing on the Wall: Disappeared Booksellers and Free Expression in Hong Kong 1 WRITING ON THE WALL Disappeared Booksellers and Free Expression in Hong Kong November 5, 2016 © 2016 PEN America. All rights reserved. PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Founded in 1922, PEN America is the largest of more than 100 centers of PEN International. Our strength is in our membership—a nationwide community of more than 4,000 novelists, journalists, poets, essayists, playwrights, editors, publishers, translators, agents, and other writing professionals. For more information, visit pen.org. Cover photograph: Artist Kacey Wong protests the Causeway Bay Books disappearances bound and gagged, sporting a red noose bearing the Chinese characters for "abduction." The sign in his hand says "Hostage is well. " Photo courtesy of Kacey Wong. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................................... 4 “One Country, Two Systems” Under Threat ....................................................................................................................................................... 4 Hong Kong’s Legal Framework ................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 The Basic Law .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Report Methodology and Structure ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6 TROUBLED HARBOR FOR FREE EXPRESSION ......................................................................................................... 8 Background on Hong Kong’s Independent Publishing Industry .................................................................................................................. 8 China’s Efforts to Stem the Tide of Illegal Books Entering From Hong Kong ....................................................................................... 9 Previous Detentions of Hong Kong Publishers ................................................................................................................................................ 10 TIMELINE OF THE DISAPPEARANCES ......................................................................................................................... 11 CONFRONTING THE THREAT TO HONG KONG’S AUTONOMY ................................................................ 20 Public Outcry in Hong Kong ................................................................................................................................................................................... 20 The Reaction of Hong Kong Authorities .............................................................................................................................................................. 21 The Hong Kong Government’s Focus on the Notification System .......................................................................................................... 22 The International Community’s Response ......................................................................................................................................................... 23 A CHILL IN THE AIR ............................................................................................................................................................... 29 The Aftermath of the Disappearances ................................................................................................................................................................ 29 The 2016 Hong Kong Book Fair ............................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Controversial Book Titles ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 30 The Closing of Bookstores and Publishing Houses ....................................................................................................................................... 30 Fears for Personal Safety Outside the Publishing Industry ......................................................................................................................... 31 CHINA’S EXPANDING REACH ......................................................................................................................................... 33 Shrinking Space for Free Expression in Hong Kong ....................................................................................................................................... 33 Forced Confessions .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33 China’s State-Controlled Media in Hong Kong ................................................................................................................................................ 35 Scripted Confessions as a Tool to Block International Assistance .......................................................................................................... 36 The Lengthening Arm of China’s Security State ............................................................................................................................................. 37 China and Thailand: “Good Friends” .................................................................................................................................................................... 38 Hong Kong Cross-Border Law Enforcement and Rendition ...................................................................................................................... 39 HUMAN RIGHTS IN RETREAT ........................................................................................................................................... 41 Violations of International Law ................................................................................................................................................................................ 41 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ...................................................................................................................................... 41 International Law on Enforced Disappearances .............................................................................................................................................. 41 The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment ................................................................ 42 Chinese Violations With Respect to the Causeway Bay Books Case .................................................................................................... 42 UPHOLDING FREE EXPRESSION IN HONG KONG .............................................................................................. 44 Conclusions and Recommendations .................................................................................................................................................................... 44 The Plain Facts .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 44 The Broader Implications .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 44 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 45 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................................... 48 ENDNOTES ................................................................................................................................................................................ 49 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY “One Country, Two Systems” Under Threat The disappearance of five Hong Kong booksellers in late 2015 sent a jolt through the literary community in Hong Kong, the publishing industry internationally, human rights advocates, and the diplomatic sphere. Businesspeople, authors, journalists, and envoys have long been accustomed to Hong Kong as a city of freedom and openness in a region that is marked by turmoil and political repression. Hong Kong has served as a portal into and out of mainland China, an opening where people, ideas, books, films, and businesses can transit,