China detains Hong Kong booksellers

Summary

Podcast Summary: China Detains Hong Kong Booksellers

Podcast: Witness History
Host: Josephine McDermott
Date: June 22, 2026
Episode Theme: The Detention of Hong Kong Bookseller Lam Wing Kee
Duration: 9 minutes

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Overview

This episode of Witness History focuses on the story of Lam Wing Kee, a Hong Kong bookseller who was detained by Chinese authorities for selling books critical of the Chinese political elite. Through Lam’s firsthand account, the episode explores the tightening of political freedoms in Hong Kong, the chilling effect on freedom of expression, and the events that marked a turning point in the relationship between Hong Kong and mainland China.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Lam Wing Kee’s Return and Dilemma

• Situation Context:
  After months of detention on the Chinese mainland, Lam Wing Kee is released and sent back to Hong Kong under the guise of retrieving a hard drive for the Chinese authorities. He faces a moral crisis:
  • Comply with the authorities' request and betray customer data, or
  • Risk defying them to protect others’ privacy and freedoms.

"I realized this isn't an ordinary matter. It wasn't just about me now. It was a problem for all Hong Kong people." — Lam Wing Kee [01:20]
Lam decides against complying, realizing the broader implications for Hong Kong’s freedom.

The Bookshop’s Origins & Mission

• Opening Causeway Bay Books (1994):
  Inspired by the Tiananmen Square massacre, Lam’s motivations are both personal and political.

"What influenced me most was the June 4th incident... I could access different books to analyze and judge this event... Is it possible that understanding the June 4 incident could change China in the future?" — Lam Wing Kee [02:13]

• Political Freedom and Its Decline:
  Under British rule, freedom of expression was robust. Lam contrasts this with the tightening controls after the 1997 handover.

Rise of Hong Kong as a Book Hub

• Post-1997 Changes:
  Hong Kong becomes a center for politically sensitive works, especially as individual mainland Chinese tourists gain easier access.

"Many business people... came to Hong Kong to buy books." — Lam Wing Kee [03:39]

The Disappearance

• October 24, 2015 – Arrest at the Border:
  Lam recounts his sudden detention while entering Shenzhen, describing intense surveillance and psychological pressure.

"31 people surrounded me. I was taken, handcuffed and blindfolded by train..." — Lam Wing Kee [04:47]

• Conditions in Detention:
  • 24/7 surveillance
  • Interrogations several times a week
  • Access to his personal data by authorities

"I was terrified... they showed me the emails I'd sent books to... I was in shock as how they were able to get hold of it." — Lam Wing Kee [05:03]

The Broader Clampdown

• Disappearances of Other Booksellers:
  Lam’s business partners also vanish, sparking public anxiety and mass protest in Hong Kong.
• Mounting Suppression:

"This is a milestone for suppression." — Lam Wing Kee [06:51]
Lam situates his experience as emblematic of a broader political shift.

Going Public: Lam’s Courage and Advocacy

• Decision to Speak Out:
  Against overwhelming pressure and fear, Lam holds a press conference, exposing the truth about his detention.

"What did I have to be afraid of? I just believed I haven't done anything wrong." — Lam Wing Kee [07:19]

• Defending Hong Kong’s Freedoms:
  During the press conference, Lam is asked about the significance of his decision.

"If I didn't speak out, Hong Kong's freedoms of speech and press would suffer in silence. That's something I don't want." — Lam Wing Kee [08:13]

Aftermath

• Political Fallout:
  Lam flees to Taiwan in 2019 amid the introduction of extradition laws.
• Continued Activism:
  He reopens Causeway Bay Books in Taipei with support from fundraisers. Meanwhile, his ally Albert Ho is arrested under China’s 2020 National Security Law.
• Chinese Government Response:
  China’s Foreign Ministry defends the detentions, asserting Lam’s alleged criminal acts under mainland law.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Moral Responsibility:

"You want me to betray all these people? I can't do that. I took three puffs of my cigarette before thinking about this again."
— Lam Wing Kee [01:20]

• On Freedom Under British Versus Chinese Rule:

"Back then... you could read, sell and write any book. So at that time, there was freedom of expression. When the Communist Party came to power... they wanted to control everything."
— Lam Wing Kee [02:13]

• On the Incident as a Turning Point:

"This is a milestone for suppression."
— Lam Wing Kee [06:51]

• On Public Testimony:

"It shows there are still people who speak out in Hong Kong. If I didn't speak out, Hong Kong's freedoms of speech and press would suffer in silence."
— Lam Wing Kee [08:13]

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• Introduction & Lam’s Dilemma: 00:05 – 01:42
• Bookshop Origins, Inspiration from Tiananmen: 02:13 – 03:14
• Hong Kong as Book Hub Post-1997: 03:14 – 03:57
• Lam’s Arrest & Detention Details: 04:15 – 06:13
• Disappearances, Political Climate, Mass Response: 06:13 – 06:51
• Lam’s Defiance, Press Conference, and its Impact: 07:08 – 08:31
• Aftermath, National Security Law, and Lam’s Exile: 08:31 – 09:34

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Tone & Language Notes

The episode is delivered in a reflective, grave, and personal style. Lam’s testimony is direct, often poignant, expressing both fear and unwavering courage. The host maintains a measured, factual narrative while highlighting the drama and gravity of Lam’s choices.

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For Further Listening

• Witness History episodes on:
  • Hong Kong: The Handover
  • Leading the Umbrella Protests

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Summary:
This episode provides a powerful, personal insight into the impact of political repression on individuals and communities in Hong Kong, framing Lam Wing Kee’s ordeal as both a symptom and symbol of Hong Kong’s changing freedoms. His story stands as both a warning and a testament to the resilience of those defending civil liberties under threat.

Transcript

[A]

Hello and welcome to Witness History with me, Josephine McDermott. We take you back to a moment in history by speaking to the people who were there. Episodes are just nine minutes long and they come out every weekday. So if that sounds like something you'd like to listen to, why not subscribe and turn your push notifications on now? It's 10 years since a Hong Kong bookseller, Lam Wing Kee, who was detained for selling material critical of the political elite, evaded the Chinese government. It's 21 June 2016. A slim 61 year old Cantonese man in a pale blue shirt open at the neck, with thick bullet gray hair and thin silver rimmed glasses, lights up a cigarette. He doesn't know if he's being watched. He's been released from detention where he's been interrogated on the Chinese mainland by people calling themselves the Central Special Unit. He's been allowed back to Hong Kong to retrieve a hard drive. The Special Unit wants for its investigations. But now he's home, he has to decide, will he comply?

[B]

I realized this isn't an ordinary matter. It wasn't just about me now. It was a problem for all Hong Kong people. I thought, why should I hand this data over to you? You want me to betray all these people? I can't do that. I took three puffs of my cigarette before thinking about this again.

[A]

What he would decide to do took incredible courage. We'll get to that later. How did Lan Wing Kee come to be in this situation? He opened Causeway Bay Books in Hong Kong in 1994. An independent bookshop which you reached via stairs from street level. You could also buy books through mail order. He says it was the Tiananmen Square massacre that made him want to sell political books.

[B]

What influenced me Most was the June 4th incident in 1989 in China. I wondered why the June 4th incident didn't happen in the US, the UK, France or Canada, but in China. The Chinese military opened fire and massacred students. Opening a bookstore was very important for two reasons. First, I could access different books to analyze and judge this event. Second, I could discuss this situation with other friends. What were the reasons? Is it possible that understanding the June 4 incident could change China in the future? This was actually the most important reason for me in opening the bookstore. Back then, Britain was in control. You could read, sell and write any book. So at that time, there was freedom of expression. They used democratic methods to govern Hong Kong. When the Communist Party came to power, they everything was different. They wanted to control everything.

[A]

When Britain handed Hong Kong back to China. In 1997, a principle of one country, two systems was agreed whereby Hong Kong would keep a high degree of autonomy. This preserved the freedoms it was used to in 2003, when individual visitors from Mainland China were allowed to visit without needing to be on business or in a tour group for the first time, they found a prized commodity was on offer.

[B]

Hong Kong became a very important consumer hub for books. It was because books were unavailable in Mainland China even if you had the money. So many business people weren't buying watches or mobile phones. They already had those. They came to Hong Kong to buy books.

[A]

Lam Wingke visited the city of Shenzhen two or three times a week to see his girlfriend. It borders Hong Kong, but it's part of the Chinese mainland. At the border crossing on 24 October 2015, things went differently.

[B]

When you go through customs, there are two checkpoints. The first one opens when you scan your ID and you go in. After you go in, it closes again and the first one doesn't reopen. I was standing in the middle and it started to continuously beep. Then two people came over. One was an official from Shenzhen, followed by the highest ranking official at the Shenzhen immigration there. He told me to come out and go to a corner on the left. 31 people surrounded me.

[A]

He was taken, handcuffed and blindfolded by train to the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo, where he was kept in a small room.

[B]

There was a bed, a place to sleep, a table, a chair, a bathroom, a screen, a very tall window. They send people 24 hours a day. They talk shifts. Even two people watched you when you sleep. When you sleep, they make you stick your hands out. They force you to do that. Do you know why you can't tuck your hands inside? They're afraid you'll kill yourself. They would interrogate me whenever they felt they needed to. At first it was about three or four days a week. The worst part was when I found out that my computer had been opened, exposing data. They showed me the emails I'd sent books to. It showed what books were ordered when they were sent, how many copies, their last names, first names and the destination addresses. This kind of thing definitely shouldn't be made public, right? Because I help send people books, I keep their data confidential. I was terrified when they showed it to me. I was in shock as how they were able to get hold of it.

[A]

By the end of December, Mr. Lam's business and the general manager, business manager, co owner and a shareholder were at the centre of an international Story Since October, one by one, five men who worked at a small bookshop and publisher have disappeared. The topics covered in the bookstore include political corruption, power struggles, even the love affairs of China's top leaders, all of which are banned from being published in mainland China. In January, a crowd of 6,000 people marched to the office of Beijing's representative in Hong Kong.

[B]

I would say that it's a turning point for suppression of our freedom, because how can a person in Hong Kong exercising our rights be now, you know, kidnapped to China to be detained for investigation. This is a milestone for suppression.

[A]

After eight months in detention, Mr. Lam was released, while the four other men connected to the bookshop had gone silent. Once they could go, Mr. Lam had other ideas.

[B]

What did I have to be afraid of? I just believed I haven't done anything wrong.

[A]

He was going to go public. He contacted Albert Ho, a legislator for the Democratic Party, and he organized a press conference.

[B]

I went to the restroom and splashed myself with cold water. And then I slowly waited for the meeting to start. I was so tired. I hadn't slept for two days. I realized that this wasn't just a bookstore issue anymore. It's a problem for Hong Kong as a whole.

[A]

He sits in front of a dozen microphones, describing what happened to him in detail. At one point, a journalist what do you think would be the effect on Hong Kong's freedoms if you hadn't come out to speak today?

[B]

It shows there are still people who speak out in Hong Kong. If I didn't speak out, Hong Kong's freedoms of speech and press would suffer in silence. That's something I don't want.

[A]

After the press conference, China's Foreign Ministry said Lam Wingke is a Chinese citizen and he has violated China's laws on the mainland. Relevant authorities in China are authorized to handle the case in accordance with the law. Following massive anti government protests, China imposed a National security law in June 2020, saying it was necessary for stability under the law. Albert Ho, who hosted the press conference, was arrested and he remains in custody. Lam Wing Ke left Hong Kong in 2019, fearing new extradition rules. Now in Taiwan, he reopened Causeway Bay Bookstore with the help of fundraisers. He was speaking to me, Josephine McDermott, for Witness History. If you're interested now to rewind further and get some more context about Hong Kong, you can search Witness History, Hong Kong, the Handover, and also Witness History. I led the Umbrella protests. Make sure you hit. Subscribe wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Thanks for listening. Goodbye.

[B]

Imagine being here. Scientists have made the atomic bomb. The first one was dropped on a Japanese city this morning. Here during the meeting Mr. Mandela was informed of the decision regarding his release.

[A]

And here witnesses have spoken of a wall of water that swept coastlines in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand.

[B]

Hear from the people who were there. He heard me praying while he was shooting and he just stopped. He said I'm not going to. I'm going to leave you here to tell the story knowing that you have a spy and that you're following a spy. It doesn't get any cooler than that. Witness history brings you first hand accounts.

[A]

Merkel gets up and says I'm going

[B]

and Tusk says I'm locking the door.

[A]

Nobody's leaving.

[B]

You're reaching a compromise or you're not leaving this room. Was it shopping carts that made you rich? Well they didn't make me poor. Listen now, search for witness history wherever you get your BBC podcasts.