National security law: Hong Kong police arrest 5 for allegedly conspiring to distribute seditious children’s books
- The group, leaders of the General Union of Hong Kong Speech Therapists, are accused of conspiring to incite hatred against the government, instigate violence
- Aged 25 to 28, the five were arrested in a series of raids across the city just after daybreak
Hong Kong national security police arrested five people on Thursday for publishing a series of allegedly seditious children’s books, accusing the group of inciting anti-government hatred and instigating violence.
The suspects – two men and three women – are members of the General Union of Hong Kong Speech Therapists, one of dozens of organisations emerging in 2019 to sustain that year’s anti-government protests.
They have been accused of conspiracy to publish and circulate seditious publications between June 2020 and March this year in connection with a picture book series about sheep defending their village from invading wolves.
Senior Superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah, of the force’s National Security Department, said the suspects were aged 25 to 28 and held the roles of group chairman, deputy chairman, secretary and treasurer and committee member.
They were picked up just after daybreak in a series of citywide raids, in which officers seized more than 550 children’s books and a large quantity of promotional leaflets, along with computers and mobile phones. Police have frozen HK$160,000 in bank accounts belonging to the group.