Hong Kong Unsettled By Case of 5 Missing Booksellers

The disappearances have fuelled lingering concerns that China is using shadowy and illegal tactics in the former British colony, whose constitution guarantees respect for the rule of law and freedom of expression.

Albert Ho, chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, said the city’s autonomy was under threat.

David Bandurski, editor of the China Media Project at the University of Hong Kong, said Mighty Current publishes the “most sensitive facts and speculation about senior leadership”. “Some other publisher published it in Hong Kong”.

China is growing increasingly bold in its de facto control of Hong Kong.

He later called to say “everything was alright” from a number that did not belong to him and originated from the neighbouring mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen, Choi had said. Swedish national Gui Minhai, the owner of the publishing house Mighty Current that owns the bookstore, disappeared while on holiday in Thailand, the South China Morning Post reported. The Chinese words on banner reads “Where is Lee Bo?”

The most scary thing is, is that there’s no news and no proof on what happened to those five publishers, and even the central government and the Hong Kong government refused to respond.

Leung Chun-ying yesterday declared that no mainland law agencies have the authority to enforce the law in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Acting Secretary for Security John Lee (李家超) told reporters that police were “actively” investigating the case and would widen the scope of their probe. But Chan said chief executive Leung should be taking the matter up at the highest level in Beijing. He told her that he was in the Chinese border city of Shenzhen, “assisting” mainland police in an investigation into four of his colleagues, who have also gone missing.

Lawmakers have called on the Hong Kong government to say whether there was an official immigration departure record for Lee.

Police have launched an investigation into the disappearances.

A local lawmaker said Sunday he believes Chinese security officers kidnapped five publishing company employees who have gone missing in the city, possibly because of a planned book about the former love life of President Xi Jinping.

The publishing company’s general manager Lui Bo, an employee Cheung Jiping and bookstore manager Lam Wing-kei are also apparently missing after disappearing in southern China in October.

Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow made a plea for everyone to fight for their rights in Hong Kong in a You Tube Video.

“Chinese authorities should investigate these reported disappearances and immediately clarify the situation”.

In Beijing, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular news conference she did not know about the case, and had “no information”.

“We are highly concerned with this case”, said Beijing-backed Hong Kong leader Leung.

Causeway Bay Books has remained closed following the incidents.

Hong Kong was handed back to China by Britain in 1997 and enjoys liberties not seen on the mainland, …

On Monday, Gui’s daughter told Hong Kong’s Chinese-language Ming Pao newspaper she contacted police in the United Kingdom over Lee’s disappearance since he had once told her he was a British citizen.