{"id":11111,"date":"2025-07-21T15:06:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T15:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/11111\/"},"modified":"2025-07-21T15:06:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T15:06:13","slug":"indie-book-fair-co-organiser-rebuts-soft-resistance-accusation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/11111\/","title":{"rendered":"Indie book fair co-organiser rebuts ‘soft resistance’ accusation"},"content":{"rendered":"

A co-organiser of an independent book fair in Hong Kong has rebutted accusations made by Beijing-backed newspaper Wen Wei Po, which alleged that the event and participating bookstores carried out \u201csoft resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a front-page report<\/a> on Monday, the paper said that \u201cReading Everywhere\u00a0\u2013 Hong Kong Independent Book Fair and Bookstore Festival\u201d was full of \u201can atmosphere of soft resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report also carried the tag, \u201cCracking down on soft resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"hkfp<\/a>\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\"IndependentIndependent book fair \u201cReading Everywhere\u201d at Hunter Bookstore in Shum Shui Po on July 17, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

The independent book fair<\/a> was co-organised by and held at Hunter Bookstore, an indie bookshop in Sham Shui Po, from Thursday to Monday. <\/p>\n

As part of the event, a series of talks on new books also took place at different independent bookshops, such as Book Punch and Have a Nice Stay.<\/p>\n

Wen Wei Po alleged that \u201cReading Everywhere\u201d sold books with messages that \u201coppose China and disturb Hong Kong.\u201c The paper cited as examples: a biography of the jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai<\/a>, a memoir of former Democratic Party lawmaker Emily Lau, and a new novel written by pro-democracy political commentator Johnny Lau.<\/p>\n

According to the report, an undercover Wen Wei Po reporter went to the book fair and asked a staff member at Hunter Bookstore whether the store was selling a biography of Lai. The shop attendant said the book would be on sale after the book fair. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis indicated the staff member was well aware of the \u2018soft resistance\u2019 nature of the book,\u201d the report read.<\/p>\n

\"WenWen Wei Po\u2019s report on the independent book fair, published on July 21, 2025. Photo: Screenshot.<\/p>\n

In response to HKFP\u2019s enquiry, Leticia Wong, director of Hunter Bookstore, said Lai\u2019s biography was published by a Taiwanese publisher and copies of the book had just arrived a few days ago.<\/p>\n

She said she did not display the new book at the book fair because the event focused more on local publishing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not because we\u2019re hiding the title,\u201d Wong said in Cantonese. \u201cIf the government said we can\u2019t sell this book, we immediately wouldn\u2019t sell it. But right now the government has said nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wen Wei Po also accused the independent book fair of placing a donation box for the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA). The paper previously labelled the press union an \u201canti-government political organisation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"IndependentIndependent book fair \u201cReading Everywhere\u201d at Hunter Bookstore in Shum Shui Po on July 17, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

Wong rejected the accusation, saying that the book fair did not place any donation box for the HKJA nor sell any merchandise of the organisation. \u201cIt\u2019s ridiculous. They even got the facts wrong,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Wen Wei Po also alleged that Book Punch ordered Lai\u2019s biography for readers and sold HKJA merchandise. <\/p>\n

Pong Yat-ming, owner of Book Punch, told HKFP on Monday that they sold HKJA keyrings and they had no further response to Wen Wei Po\u2019s report.<\/p>\n

\u2018Surprised\u2019 <\/p>\n

A journalist-turned-politician, Lau is a member of the city\u2019s largest pro-democracy party, the Democratic Party, and served as a lawmaker from 1991 to 2016. She published her memoir, Stay Here, in July.<\/p>\n

The pro-Beijing paper referred to her new book as an example of \u201csoft resistance\u201d and called Lau a \u201clawmaker of the Mutual Destruction Camp.\u201d It also alleged that she criticised the \u201cenhanced\u201d election systems as a \u201cregression of democracy\u201d in\u00a0the book.<\/p>\n

\u201cMutual destruction\u201d is a phrase arising from the 2019 protests and unrest, which expresses a willingness by protesters to exhaust all means<\/a>, even at the cost of sacrifice, to bring about justice or damage the government.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am surprised. I never knew that I would be categorised as the Mutual Destruction Camp,\u201d Emily told HKFP in Cantonese. \u201cIn fact, this was the first time I was called this way.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"EmilyEmily Lau. File photo: HK Democrats, via Facebook.<\/p>\n

Many people have criticised the current election system as a \u201cregression of democracy,\u201d Lau said. \u201cIt\u2019s just my personal opinion. Of course, there are people praising it as \u2018progress of democracy.\u2019 I hope there is still freedom of speech in Hong Kong.\u201d <\/p>\n

In March 2021, Beijing passed legislation to ensure \u201cpatriots\u201d govern Hong Kong<\/a>. The move reduced democratic representation<\/a> in the legislature, tightened control of elections and introduced a pro-Beijing vetting panel to select candidates. The Hong Kong government said the overhaul would ensure the city\u2019s stability and prosperity<\/a>. But the changes also prompted international condemnation, as it makes it near-impossible for pro-democracy candidates<\/a> to stand.<\/p>\n

\u2018Soft resistance\u2019<\/p>\n

Since 2021, Chinese and Hong Kong officials have mentioned the phrase as a threat to national security but have not been specific about what it means.<\/p>\n

In late June, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam\u00a0gave an explanation<\/a> of \u201csoft resistance\u201d for the first time. <\/p>\n

He said there were three main elements of soft resistance: making false or misleading statements, expressing them irrationally and with emotional bias, and with the intention of creating a misunderstanding about the Chinese and Hong Kong governments and their policies.<\/p>\n

\"SecretarySecretary for Justice Paul Lam meets the press on November 10, 2023. File photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

Lam said<\/a> on Commercial Radio on Saturday that some forms of \u201csoft resistance\u201d actually do not violate the law, and the authorities should utilise \u201csoft power\u201d to handle \u201csoft resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c[We] should make sure [the public] understand what the government is doing and what is happening in our country\u2026 and to enhance people\u2019s understanding and belonging to the country,\u201d Lam said in Cantonese.<\/p>\n

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