Hong Kong
Hong Kong's public libraries removed dozens of books for review after the National Security Law (NSL) was enacted in June 2020. The Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) system withdrew political titles from shelves pending legal assessment, primarily targeting books on Hong Kong independence, pro-democracy activism, and the 2019 protest movement. Many titles — including works on Tiananmen and Hong Kong autonomy — were permanently removed.
Banned books
An Oral History of the Democratic Movement of Hong Kong in the 1980s
Ma Ngok
An academic oral history of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement during the 1980s, compiled by Ma Ngok (馬岳), a political scientist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The book documents the founding of the democratic movement through interviews with key participants. Its historical documentation of the democratic movement made it a target of the post-NSL library review.
Public library · 2020
Big Rivers Going to the East
Szeto Wah
The memoirs of Szeto Wah (司徒華), one of Hong Kong's most revered democracy activists. Szeto was a founder of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China and organised annual Tiananmen vigils for over two decades. The title — a traditional Chinese phrase meaning going forth boldly — reflects his lifelong commitment to democracy. Published posthumously; he died in January 2011.
Public library · 2020
Hong Kong Nationalism
HKU Undergrad / HKUSU
An edited collection published by the University of Hong Kong Students' Union magazine Undergrad exploring arguments for Hong Kong self-determination and nationalism. The publication drew intense criticism from Beijing's Liaison Office in Hong Kong, which condemned it in 2015 as advocating independence from China. The HKPL removed it in 2020 under the National Security Law review.
Public library · 2020
I Am Not a Hero
Joshua Wong
A follow-up memoir by Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong, reflecting on his evolving role in the pro-democracy movement and the personal cost of political activism. Wong was sentenced to prison under Hong Kong's National Security Law in 2021, making his books politically sensitive and leading to their removal from public libraries.
Public library · 2020
I Am Not a Kid
Joshua Wong
A memoir and political manifesto by Joshua Wong Chi-fung, the Hong Kong student activist who rose to global prominence during the 2014 Umbrella Movement. Wong was secretary-general of the pro-democracy group Demosistō and was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned by Hong Kong authorities. He was sentenced to prison under the National Security Law in 2021.
Public library · 2020
My Journeys for Food and Justice
Tanya Chan
A memoir by Tanya Chan (陳淑莊), a Hong Kong politician and former member of the Legislative Council. Chan, a barrister and a founding member of the Civic Party, documented her political journey and advocacy work. She was charged with subversion under the National Security Law in 2021, leading to her books being reviewed and removed from public libraries.
Public library · 2020
On the Hong Kong City-State
Wan Chin
A political manifesto by Hong Kong scholar and controversialist Wan Chin (陳雲), arguing that Hong Kong should be reconceived as an autonomous city-state rooted in Cantonese culture and resistant to absorption by mainland China. The book became foundational to the Hong Kong localist movement. Its argument for a distinct Hong Kong identity separate from the PRC made it a target of the National Security Law review.
Public library · 2020
People's Republic of Amnesia
Louisa Lim
A reassessment of the Tiananmen Square massacre on its 25th anniversary, exploring how China has systematically suppressed all memory of the events of June 4, 1989. Former BBC Beijing correspondent Louisa Lim documents how an entire generation of young Chinese citizens — including students at the very university where protests began — have been rendered ignorant of the crackdown.
Public library · 2020
Prisoner of the State
Zhao Ziyang
Public library · 2020
The Future of Constitutionalism in Hong Kong
Benny Tai
A collection of essays on the future of Hong Kong's constitutional system and rule of law, edited by legal scholar and democracy activist Benny Tai. Tai co-founded the Occupy Central with Love and Peace movement in 2014 and was later convicted under the National Security Law in 2024. The book was removed from Hong Kong Public Libraries during the post-NSL review.
Public library · 2020
The Inside Information of the Bloody Crackdown on Tiananmen on June 4
Wu Renhua
A detailed forensic account of the Tiananmen Square massacre by Wu Renhua (吳仁華), a student leader who survived June 4, 1989. Based on documents, photographs, and testimony, the book documents the military units involved, the weapons used, and the death toll — one of the most thorough records of events the Chinese government denies. Wu has been threatened and lives in exile.
Public library · 2020
There Is a Kind of Happiness Called Forgetting
Roy Kwong
A collection of personal and political reflections by Roy Kwong (鄺俊宇), a Hong Kong poet and politician who served in the Legislative Council. The title — "There Is a Kind of Happiness Called Forgetting" — is itself a political statement about memory and suppression. Kwong was known for his lyrical approach to political writing and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights.
Public library · 2020
Under the Keystone: 18 Years in Politics
Margaret Ng
A memoir by Margaret Ng (吳靄儀), a Hong Kong barrister, journalist, and politician who served eighteen years as a Legislative Council member from 1995 to 2012. Ng was a prominent voice for the rule of law and judicial independence in Hong Kong. She was later charged under the National Security Law in 2021 for her role in the pro-democracy primary elections.
Public library · 2020