Hong Kong gov’t watchdog finds ‘inadequacies’ in refusal to disclose books removed from public libraries
Hong Kong Free Press
A complaint against the Hong Kong government’s refusal to provide information relating to books purged from the city’s public libraries was unsubstantiated, the Ombudsman has ruled, however it did identify what it called “inadequacies” after investigation.
The Office of the Ombudsman launched a full investigation into the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), which faced a complaint over its refusal to disclose details about books that had been removed or withdrawn from public library shelves, the watchdog revealed in its 2023/24 Annual Report published on Wednesday.
The complaint was unsubstantiated, the Ombudsman said, but “other inadequacies” were found. The watchdog did not elaborate on what they were, nor did it make any recommendations to LCSD.
Last December, Ming Pao reported that its journalists had cited the Code on Access to Information to request the total number of books shelved over alleged violations of the national security law and a list of their titles. But the LCSD rejected their request, saying that providing such information may endanger national security. The newspaper later filed a complaint with the government watchdog.
According to Ming Pao, LCSD told the Ombudsman during the investigation that disclosing the book titles may cause a “malicious widespread dissemination” of titles that could endanger national security. The Ombudsman sided with the LCSD and ruled Ming Pao’s complaint unsubstantiated.
Hong Kong’s public library system has been in the spotlight in recent years, with local media reporting that political titles have been stealthily removed from shelves since 2020. While books about civil disobedience were the first to disappear, the genres of those included in the purge were not limited to politics.
Wednesday’s report revealed that the Ombudsman ruled that a separate complaint against the LCSD’s refusal to disclose the list of Chinses books bought by Hong Kong Public Libraries was also unsubstantiated.
Between April 1, 2023 and March 31 this year, the Ombudsman office received a total of 4,351 complaints. Only 95 cases, or 4.6 per cent of the complaints, warranted a full investigation by the watchdog. Following the probes, 12.6 per cent were substantiated, while 43.2 per cent were unsubstantiated.
Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact Us | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps
Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team
HKFP has an impartial stance, transparent funding, and balanced coverage guided by an Ethics Code and Corrections Policy.
Support press freedom & help us surpass 1,000 monthly Patrons: 100% independent, governed by an ethics code & not-for-profit.