Within the wake of the Article 23 laws handed two weeks in the past in Hong Kong, additional constricting media and speech freedom, there have been numerous bookstore closures and media departures from the territory. Radio Free Asia (RFA) introduced that it was shutting its Hong Kong bureau because of considerations concerning the security of its workers and reporters. Beloved unbiased bookstore Mount Zero additionally closed its doorways, amid fond farewells from the group of readers it had nurtured throughout its six-year existence.
Mount Zero bookstore/見山書店 in #HongKong has closed. On its final day, a whole bunch gathered to bid it farewell. Like different unbiased HK cultural establishments, it was harassed by gov’t inspectors. “Not only a bookstore however a ‘cultural experiment.'” https://t.co/J9HheFqvzN pic.twitter.com/rGf7fmeaL2
— Hong Kong Democracy Council (@hkdc_us) April 1, 2024
At the moment’s CDT quote of the day comes from veteran Hong Kong journalist Allan KL Au. (Earlier than changing into knowledgeable advisor at Chinese language College of Hong Kong, Au was a senior producer at TVB Information, a radio host on RTHKand a columnist for print shops together with Stand Information and Ming Pao.) Au penned this tribute on March 31, on Mount Zero’s last night time in enterprise, in remembrance of the shared sense of group amongst patrons and readers:
Mount Zero’s magic lies not simply in books, however within the connections she solid. These days, all relationships are valuable, and all connections are perilous.
Some say that Hong Kong must construct extra vacationer points of interest; evidently these identical individuals are those actively demolishing landmarks. All lovely issues will ultimately be destroyed—allow us to not neglect that this can be a place the place goals are punished.
As one chapter concludes, one thing new will all the time come up to take its place—this, I do know, isn’t any mere silly April Idiot’s Day fantasy. [Chinese]
