“IDead people are bulletproof. ” three wordsWith its multicolored tiles punched above the doorway, it represented one of the last vestiges of Hong Kong’s once vibrant literary space. On March 31st, Hong Kong’s beloved independent bookstore Mount Zero closed its doors for the final time. Hundreds of Hong Kongers came to say goodbye.
The bookstore, which opened in 2018, borrowed its slogan from the 2005 film “V for Vendetta.” Masks of the eponymous anti-hero Guy Fawkes have occasionally appeared during Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests.
Owners say the closure of Mount Zero, announced after repeated inspections by authorities, comes as Hong Kongers are coming to terms with the new reality of life: not one, but two national security laws. Critics say the law is being used to suppress opposition. .
“People are rapidly getting used to the idea that public expression is no longer obsolete,” said Bao Pu, founder of publisher New Century Press.
The pro-democracy protests that rocked Hong Kong in 2019 and 2020 seem increasingly like a distant memory. Where two million people once poured into the streets to protest the government’s plans to forge closer ties with mainland China. Individual may be imprisoned For wearing a “inflammatory” T-shirt.
The main reason for this downturn is the national security law that the Chinese government imposed on Hong Kong in June 2020. Authorities say the law was necessary to restore stability. Critics argue that the vaguely worded crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign powers effectively criminalize opposition movements.
Considering the millions of people who took to the streets in 2019 and 2020, relatively few people were actually arrested under the law. 292 people as of January 31st.
“That’s intentional,” says Jeffrey Wasserstrom, a professor of Chinese history at the University of California, Irvine, and author of “Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink.” More than 800 people were arrested for rioting, and nearly 300 were targeted using colonial-era disturbance laws. Protesters have been targeted for more than 100 different types of crimes. “Even when you look at these disaggregated numbers, it’s hard for people to realize how much things have changed,” Wasserstrom said.
Now, authorities have another tool in their arsenal. That is Article 23 of the Homegrown National Security Act, which targets newly defined acts of treason, espionage, theft of state secrets, sedition, and foreign interference.
The government has gone on the offensive, accusing the new bill of what it calls “intimidation.” “It only targets a very small number of people who pose a risk to national security,” the spokesperson said.
This law took decades to pass. This stems from the provisions of the Hong Kong Basic Law of 1997. However, when the bill was put into effect in 2003, 500,000 people protested and the bill was shelved. In 2024, the city is quiet.
“The children of [2003] “Protesters will now suffer for what their parents fought for,” said Mark Saba, director of the Hong Kong Freedom Caucus Foundation.
Both generations have been caught up in mass trials of pro-democracy activists, most of them in solitary confinement waiting for judges handpicked by the magistrate to decide whether they are guilty or not guilty. The Hong Kong 47 indictment, as it has come to be known, includes high-profile figures such as Joshua Wong and Benny Tai, and has been widely criticized by foreign governments, human rights groups and the defendants’ lawyers.
They were first arrested in 2020 and charged with conspiring to overthrow the government by holding unofficial pre-election primaries. The official charge is “conspiracy to overthrow state power.” The arrest itself was considered politically motivated.
The 10-month trial ended in December. Typically, a verdict would be expected within six months, but given the complexity and scale of the proceedings (16 of 47 people have pleaded not guilty, with the remainder awaiting sentencing), many People expect the verdict to be delayed. The defendants have already spent more than 1,000 days in prison and could be sentenced to up to life in prison.
And there are also concerns about the ongoing trial of British national and former medical tycoon Jimmy Lai, who has been detained since December 2020 while observers await his verdict. His trial for collusion with foreign powers is scheduled to end in May and has been plagued by accusations that it was politically motivated and that one of his witnesses was tortured. The 76-year-old will spend the rest of his life in prison.
The government wants to give the impression that life continues as normal outside the courthouse. Dozens of major events are planned for the first half of this year, and the government says the lineup will invite locals and tourists to “participate and experience Hong Kong’s unique charm.” More than 75,000 people attended this year’s Art Basel, organizers said, despite calls to boycott the fair over censorship concerns.
And despite a growing recognition among activists that Hong Kong is becoming like other Chinese cities, differences remain. There is still open internet in this region. It is still possible to buy materials that are banned in mainland China, but the number of traders is decreasing. Mr. Bao’s New Century Publishing recently published a biography of a high-ranking Chinese Communist Party official who played an important role in the Cultural Revolution. One Chinese buyer was left in despair after having his book confiscated three times when he tried to bring it to the mainland.
“And so far no one has kidnapped me,” Bao jokes. “still.”
However, the destruction of civil society continues. On April 10, a representative from the NGO Reporters Without Borders attempted to travel to Hong Kong to monitor Lai’s trial, but was detained for several hours at Hong Kong International Airport and then deported. In March, US-owned media outlet Radio Free Asia closed its Hong Kong bureau, citing Article 23 safety concerns for its staff. The South China Morning Post reporter went missing in October while visiting Beijing for a national defense conference. At least 90 NGOs and 22 media groups have been shut down since the implementation of the 2020 national security law. according to Georgetown University Asian Law Center.
“If we really want Hong Kong to return to being a prosperous, safe and free city, I think there needs to be reconciliation and dialogue with some people,” said Emily Lau, a veteran pro-democracy politician and former lawmaker. says. “Most people here accept that we are part of China. They are not going to use violence to overthrow the government, but they want the freedom to express their opinions. I will…as I have done for decades.”
On April 11th, Zeroyama posted a photo from the final day on Instagram. “People kept coming, and some young people asked each other, ‘What the hell are we going to do?'” the caption reads. “No one knew the concrete answer.”
Additional research by Chi Hui Lin
