Hong Kong police recently searched several bookstores under national security law provisions. That single police action has now snowballed into a full-blown political storm in Taiwan, with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) working the levers behind the curtain.
A Coordinated Campaign Unfolds
Taiwanese online opinion leaders fired the first shots, flooding social media with the story. Lai Ching-te then jumped in personally, posting criticism of Hong Kong and claiming that "Taiwan once endured martial law and an authoritarian regime" and that "thought and words should never be imprisoned by political pressure."
Lai Ching-te posted his criticism within moments of the story breaking.
The DPP government's memory proves conveniently short here. It still has not explained its own refusal to renew the broadcast license of the pro-blue Chung T'ien Television (CTiTV).
One social media post was not enough for Lai. He also sent out Kuo Ya-hui, spokesperson for the so-called "Presidential Office," to deliver a joint press statement. Kuo declared that "no country should be afraid of its citizens reading, nor should it suppress freedom of speech in such a manner." She added that Taiwan will keep watching the situation in Hong Kong together with its "democratic allies."
The whole green camp then mobilized on a much wider scale. Several Taiwanese "legislators" and civil groups held a joint press conference insisting that the professional duties of bookstore and publishing staff should never be politicized or "criminalized." They called for protecting basic freedoms of reading and creative work.
The pro-green entertainment sector joined the fray, as another cog in the same propaganda machine. During a massive concert at Taipei Arena, the band Fire EX. performed "City of Two," a song co-written with Hong Kong lyricist Albert Leung (Lin Xi) that narrates the so-called democratic waves in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Mid-performance, the giant center-stage screen flashed six oversized characters reading "I am a bookstore clerk" (我是書店店員), a staged political statement disguised as a live moment.
Fire EX.'s concert took on an unmistakably political charge.
Election Season Playbook
An expert points to a clear pattern behind these "solidarity actions." The DPP government is the real orchestrator, using the Hong Kong bookstore incident to build momentum ahead of the Nine-in-One local elections on November 28. Whenever election season arrives, the DPP reliably dusts off this same playbook: amplify a Hong Kong political incident, attack the Chinese Mainland, stir up pro-independence sentiment, and harvest votes from the resulting noise.
Ariel
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The National Security Department of the Police Force launched an enforcement operation on October 6. Officers arrested a man and a woman in Kwun Tong District and Tsim Sha Tsui District respectively, both aged 38.
The arrested persons are suspected of violating Section 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, namely the offence of "doing an act with a seditious intention." Sources indicate that the arrested man is Wong Ka-ho, a former member of the localist group "North District Dynamic." The other arrested person is his girlfriend.
It is understood that during the black violence period, someone set up a social media page named "YellowInsurance," covering platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. While promoting insurance business, the page repeatedly published posts supporting the black violence and expressing solidarity with "brothers and sisters."
It also spread messages smearing the Central Authorities and the SAR Government, promoting "Hong Kong independence," and attempting to incite public hatred toward the Central Authorities and the SAR Government.
After the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, this page shifted to continuously inciting through "soft resistance" tactics. It used hashtags or so-called "acrostic poems" and other obscure "edge ball" forms to disseminate anti-China and pro-riot messages and incite "Hong Kong independence." It also promoted the black violence song "Glory to Hong Kong," various yellow shops, and participation in the "yellow economic circle" mobile application "Punish Mee," in an attempt to imperceptibly poison the general public.
Using hashtags or so-called "acrostic poems" and other obscure forms to disseminate messages. (Online image)
The page involved claimed that it could arrange various types of insurance for customers, yet did not disclose the identity of the person in charge or the relevant licence status. An insider's analysis pointed out that this operating method lacked transparency.
The page imitated the operating model of the "yellow economic circle" and hinted in its posts that it was run by anti-government "yellow people," thereby using the political halo to attract yellow-camp consumers to take out insurance through its platform and earn insurance commissions for profit.
Sources say the two arrested individuals are suspected of managing these pages. Wong Ka-ho claimed to work as a financial adviser at a local investment company and holds an insurance intermediary licence. The arrested girlfriend does not work in the insurance industry and does not hold an insurance intermediary licence, and is suspected of having been instigated by Wong Ka-ho to help manage social media.
Under the Insurance Ordinance, selling insurance without a licence or taking part in related regulated activities is a criminal offence. That includes making applications or providing advice on insurance contracts.
Founded in 2015, "North District Dynamic" repeatedly launched and joined protests against parallel traders. Wong Ka-ho was active in those activities and ran in the District Council election that same year for "North District Dynamic", but the pro-democracy camp at the time accused him of "splitting the vote".
In November 2016, Wong and several former members of Demosisto and the League of Social Democrats joined a march against the NPC's interpretation of the Basic Law. He was later arrested for surrounding the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government building and throwing hard objects at police.
In March 2020, Wong Ka-ho and Lui Chi-hang, one of those convicted in the "35+ subversion case", went to MTR Fanling Station to disrupt a signature street booth organized by citizens in "support of Article 23 legislation". The move triggered a pushing and shoving incident involving more than 20 people from both sides.
Reports at the time said Wong and his associates livestreamed the process online during the incident and afterwards shared photos of their own injuries online to court sympathy, and were accused of premeditation.
The "yellow economic circle" broadly refers to the economic activities of so-called "mutual support among brothers and sisters" initiated by some anti-China, destabilizing elements after the 2019 black violence. A senior figure pointed out that in essence it is about amassing wealth by inciting hatred and social confrontation, which both endangers national security and damages Hong Kong's economy and prosperity and stability.
After the Hong Kong National Security Law took effect, the forces concerned still hide in the community, poisoning the public through "soft resistance" to seek private gain, planting major hidden dangers for Hong Kong's long-term stability and prosperous development.
According to records, many people who took part in anti-government activities during the 2019 black violence hoped to profit through the "yellow economic circle".
For example, Chu Kong-wai is suspected of promoting MPF schemes without an MPF intermediary licence. He marketed MPF consolidation schemes on social platforms and through other channels as a "financial adviser", calling on "brothers and sisters" to let his team manage their MPF accounts and claiming they could obtain ideal returns. He was criticized for disregarding clients' potential financial losses.
Chu was attached to Manulife senior branch manager Lee Chun-wah. Before entering the insurance industry, Lee had been a male PE teacher at a secondary school, during which time he associated with a 14-year-old underage girl and once sat on the back of a half-naked girl to take photos, involving indecency toward an underage girl.
He was later revealed to possess nearly a hundred pornographic photos and videos of another girl at the school. He was ultimately convicted on two counts of committing indecent acts against a child under 16 and possession of child pornography.
Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung mentioned in a radio program a few days ago that Hong Kong currently still faces four major national security risks. They include smearing by external forces, local terrorist activities, those who have absconded overseas continuing to advocate "Hong Kong independence", and hidden "soft resistance". He said bluntly that the most evil thing is "soft resistance", because it may not be very obvious.
The expert points out that this case proves the national security risks from "soft resistance" still exist. The acts in the case are suspected of violating "doing an act with a seditious intention," a serious offence that carries a maximum penalty of 7 years' imprisonment on first conviction.
The expert believes the police will continue to ensure that laws are observed and strictly enforced and that lawbreakers are prosecuted. The force will effectively prevent, stop and punish any acts and activities endangering national security in accordance with the law.
