"He realized that if he surrendered his dignity, his captors wouldn't stop at a confession — they'd empty his very soul."

In 2015, Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee was abducted and disappeared across the border into a black jail, where Chinese Communist Party uniforms subjected him to psychological torture for unspecified crimes.

The CCP wanted to know who was buying “forbidden books” revealing the secret lives of its officials. Lacking leverage, they abducted Lam’s girlfriend, too.

But the Causeway Bay Books manager wouldn’t buckle. Returning to Hong Kong, he risked oblivion to tell the world about his secret capture.

His decision shook the world and inspired many to prepare for the fight against repression that was to come.

Lam passed away in exile in Taipei on July 2, 2026.

In this deeply moving tribute, @ChinaChange_org Editor-in-Chief @YaxueCao writes about Lam’s writing, dignity, and the love for Hong Kongers that motivated his decision-making. 👇

🔥https://t.co/EscVmcXnFU