Libraries pull some books of pro-democracy political figures

Hong Kong public libraries have suspended the lending of several books written by pro-democracy political figures, days after the national security took effect.

According to the public library's website, several titles written by activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung, localist Wan Chin and Civic Party lawmaker Tanya Chan are “under review” and no longer available for lending.

Both of Wong's works, one on his leadership of the protests against the national education curriculum in 2012 and the other on the Occupy Movement in 2014, have been pulled from the shelves.

Chin's “On the Hong Kong City-State” and “Hong Kong State-survivors” are among copies suspended from lending. But some of Chin's works were still available for borrowing.

Chan's book about protests was placed under review, while her other books were still available.

Wong slammed the “censorship” in public libraries as a form of white terror, saying the new law serves as a tool for speech crime.

The former leader of the now-disbanded Demosisto said his tome of protests in opposition to the national education – published in 2013 – does not touch on sovereignty matters, or contents related to collusion with foreign forces as it was written before he started working on international advocacy.