Taiwan libraries stock banned books from Hong Kong amid political crackdown
Taiwan Libraries Preserve Banned Hong Kong Books Amid Crackdown
Libraries in Taiwan are now offering a vast collection of books that have been banned in Hong Kong due to the government's crackdown on politically sensitive content. This initiative comes in response to the Chinese government's National Security Law introduced in 2020, which limits public criticism and has led to the removal of many books from Hong Kong's shelves.
Once known for their diverse range of books, Hong Kong's bookstores have been significantly affected, with many independent stores forced out of business. In an effort to preserve these works, libraries in Taiwan, including the National Taiwan Library, Taipei City Library, and Academia Sinica Library, have made these banned books available.
This move is also driven by the demand from Hong Kong residents who have relocated to Taiwan. A recent search of these libraries shows that many books previously banned in Hong Kong, such as those about the 2014 Umbrella Movement, are now accessible in Taiwan. Titles like "We Were Chosen by the Times" and "Every Umbrella," once removed from the Hong Kong Central Library, can now be found in Taiwan.
Other significant works, including "Farewell to Cynicism: The Crisis of Liberalism in Hong Kong" and "Hong Kong, a Restless Homeland," are also available. Taiwan's libraries hold a substantial collection of books related to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, the 2019 Hong Kong protests, and the Umbrella Movement, serving as a crucial outlet for Hong Kong's Cantonese culture and history.
Doubts Revealed
Taiwan
Taiwan is an island located in East Asia, near China. It has its own government and is known for its technology and culture.
Banned Books
Banned books are books that are not allowed to be read or sold in certain places because of their content. In this case, they are banned in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a special region in China. It used to be a British colony and has its own legal system and freedoms, but China has been increasing its control over it.
Crackdown
A crackdown is when authorities take strong action to stop something they don't like. Here, it means stopping people from reading certain books.
National Security Law
The National Security Law was introduced in Hong Kong in 2020 by China. It is used to punish actions that are seen as threats to China's control over Hong Kong.
Umbrella Movement
The Umbrella Movement was a series of protests in Hong Kong in 2014. People used umbrellas to protect themselves from police sprays, and they were asking for more democracy.
National Taiwan Library
The National Taiwan Library is a big library in Taiwan where people can read and borrow books. It is one of the places preserving the banned books.
Taipei City Library
The Taipei City Library is another library in Taiwan's capital city, Taipei. It also helps keep the banned books available for people to read.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *