Book Punch owner arrested under national security law

Pong Yat-ming, owner of Book Punch in Sham Shui Po, was arrested by the Hong Kong police's National Security Department on Tuesday on suspicion of violating Section 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which prohibits "knowingly selling seditious publications." He was released on bail on Wednesday evening.

Four people, including the bookstore owner and staff members, were arrested during the operation. Authorities seized a batch of seditious books from the premises, including a biography of Jimmy Lai by former Next Media director Mark Clifford.

According to sources, the bookstore had been persistently selling seditious publications. The seized biography of Lai allegedly disregards facts by glorifying Lai's actions in colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security, attacks Hong Kong's judicial personnel, misrepresents the government's detention arrangements for Lai, and deliberately vilifies Hong Kong and the mainland in an attempt to incite sedition among Hong Kong residents.