Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee, a noted dissident who fled to Taiwan fearing extradition, has died aged 70.
Lam passed away at Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei after a long battle with lung cancer, according to local media.
The bookseller was first arrested in 2015 while selling material critical of mainland China’s political elite, spending more than 400 days in custody before returning to Hong Kong. In 2019, he left for Taiwan when the Hong Kong government announced a proposed extradition bill that Beijing viewed as a threat to its legal jurisdiction.
Taiwan’s authorities embraced Lam’s presence, noting that his reopening of the Causeway Bay Books shop was a symbol of democracy and freedom on the island. The store became a centre where displaced friends and supporters of Hong Kong’s free‑speech movement could gather.
Following his death, President Lai Ching‑te wrote on Facebook that he was deeply saddened, offering condolences to Lam’s family and friends. He added that “Lam’s life bore witness to the value of freedom of expression and to the fear and suffering that come with authoritarian repression.”
Lam’s final interview with a BBC program highlighted his belief that people should live according to their values, noting that staying true to one’s beliefs helps create a better society. His legacy is underscored by the continued memory of the 2019 protests across Hong Kong and the broader struggle for civil liberties in the region.
