The majority of books and videos about the Tiananmen Square crackdown were removed from the shelves of public libraries in Hong Kong just weeks after government auditors instructed them to step up efforts to root out works "manifestly contrary" to national security, according to the the South China Morning Post.

Critics said that the removal of the books would harm the city's image for transparency.

Censorship of books is not unusual in many places, according to Simon Chu Fook-keung, a former acting director of the city government's archives from 1999 to 2003, but removal without reason might jeopardise official legitimacy.

“If a government cannot even convince its people why certain books – including those apparently non-political – are banned, it might have difficulties in winning trust on other issues,” he warned.

However, security head Chris Tang Ping-keung stated that the public library service has well-established standards on book selection.

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“I am also sure that safeguarding&nbsp;national security&nbsp;is high on the agenda of each and every individual department and bureau,” he said.

An academic, on the other hand, expressed concern that the authorities' removal of books would tarnish Hong Kong's reputation as a city with robust access to knowledge and called for greater transparency regarding the reasons for government book censorship.

A spokeswoman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, which operates the city's 71 public libraries, said the department regularly examined and rejected books that were "not in line with the development" of the service.

“Books with content suspected of breaching the national security law or other local laws are removed immediately for a review,” he told&nbsp;South China Morning Post.

A search of the public library archives on Monday using keywords such as "June 4, 1989," "Tiananmen Square," and "June 4" in Chinese and English turned up no articles related to the military crackdown in Beijing 34 years ago.

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Dozens of popular content relating to the crackdown have been removed, including films produced by RTHK, the city's public service broadcaster, a Chinese-language book about the incident authored by 64 Hong Kong journalists, and The Power of Tiananmen by Chinese sociologist Zhao Dingxin.

Beijing Coma, a 2008 English-language novel restricted in mainland China but still available in five local libraries, was one of the few relevant novels that remained on library shelves.

Works dealing with the Tiananmen Square crackdown, which the mainland government deemed sensitive, reduced in advance of the 34th anniversary, compared to the 149 pieces accessible in 2019, as reported by local media sources previously. 
&nbsp;

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The majority of books and videos about the Tiananmen Square crackdown were removed from the shelves of public libraries in Hong Kong just weeks after government auditors instructed them to step up efforts to root out works "manifestly contrary" to national security, according to the the South China Morning Post.

The majority of books and videos about the Tiananmen Square crackdown were removed from the shelves of public libraries in Hong Kong just weeks after government auditors instructed them to step up efforts to root out works "manifestly contrary" to national security, according to the the South China Morning Post. Critics said that the removal of the books would harm the city's image for transparency. Censorship of books is not unusual in many places, according to Simon Chu Fook-keung, a former acting director of the city government's archives from 1999 to 2003, but removal without reason might jeopardise official legitimacy. “If a government cannot even convince its people why certain books – including those apparently non-political – are banned, it might have difficulties in winning trust on other issues,” he warned. However, security head Chris Tang Ping-keung stated that the public library service has well-established standards on book selection. ALSO READ | Chinese propagandists are scam-calling those buying anti-Communist party books “I am also sure that safeguarding national security is high on the agenda of each and every individual department and bureau,” he said. An academic, on the other hand, expressed concern that the authorities' removal of books would tarnish Hong Kong's reputation as a city with robust access to knowledge and called for greater transparency regarding the reasons for government book censorship. A spokeswoman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, which operates the city's 71 public libraries, said the department regularly examined and rejected books that were "not in line with the development" of the service. “Books with content suspected of breaching the national security law or other local laws are removed immediately for a review,” he told South China Morning Post. A search of the public library archives on Monday using keywords such as "June 4, 1989," "Tiananmen Square," and "June 4" in Chinese and English turned up no articles related to the military crackdown in Beijing 34 years ago. ALSO READ | One in five Chinese is unemployed, reveals official data Dozens of popular content relating to the crackdown have been removed, including films produced by RTHK, the city's public service broadcaster, a Chinese-language book about the incident authored by 64 Hong Kong journalists, and The Power of Tiananmen by Chinese sociologist Zhao Dingxin. Beijing Coma, a 2008 English-language novel restricted in mainland China but still available in five local libraries, was one of the few relevant novels that remained on library shelves. Works dealing with the Tiananmen Square crackdown, which the mainland government deemed sensitive, reduced in advance of the 34th anniversary, compared to the 149 pieces accessible in 2019, as reported by local media sources previously. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Hong Kong public libraries withdraw most books on Tiananmen Square crackdown in new censorship

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Hong Kong public libraries withdraw most books on Tiananmen Square crackdown in new censorship

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