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| Lam Wing-kee | |
Causeway Bay Books, the former Hong Kong bookstore that "sold books critical of Chinese leaders and fell victim to Beijing's persecution," will reopen in Taipei on April 25, CNA reported. Founder Lam Wing-kee fled to Taiwan two months after the Hong Kong government proposed a controversial extradition bill in February 2019, fearing he would be extradited to China under the bill to face charges of running an illegal business, CNA noted. The bill has since been scrapped in the wake of mass protests.
In 2015, Lam had been one of five shareholders and staff members of Causeway Bay Books who disappeared into Chinese custody. Released on bail and allowed to return to Hong Kong in June 2016 "to retrieve a hard drive listing the bookstore's customers," he "jumped bail and went public, detailing how he was blindfolded by police after crossing the border into the neighboring Chinese city of Shenzhen and spent months being interrogated," CNA wrote.
Lam said the new store will not hold any special activities on its opening day to minimize the risk of overcrowding due to the Covid-19 pandemic. "Public health and safety comes first." he explained, welcoming anyone interested to come for a visit.