Four Hong Kong publishers known for books critical of Chinese regime missing – Nov. 9, 2015 Guardian article

A Nov. 9, 2015 Guardian article is entitled: “Rights groups raise alarm for Gui Haiming, last seen travelling to Thailand, Lu Bo and Zhang Zhiping, who headed to China, and missing Lin Rongji.”

The opening paragraphs read:

“A group of Hong Kong booksellers specialising in books criticising China’s Communist elite have gone missing.

“The four men work for Sage Communications, a publisher and bookshop famed for producing sensational and salacious tomes on the private lives of top Chinese leaders.

“Recent titles include The Collapse of Xi Jinping in 2017, Hu Jintao’s Plot Against Xi Jinping, and a book allegedly penned by the former mistress of China’s disgraced security chief Zhou Yongkang, who was sentenced to life in prison in June.

“Gui Haiming, the Swedish owner of Sage Communications, was last seen after he travelled to his holiday home in Thailand, while Lu Bo, the company’s general manager, and Zhang Zhiping, another employee, have not been heard from since they went to visit family members in mainland China.”

[End of excerpt]

The concluding paragraph reads:

“The source said publishers in the former British colony now felt under siege. “We used to be fine in Hong Kong. Now we get menacing calls from people claiming to be mainland authorities, saying we have to stop publication. Self-censorship is becoming rampant,” they added.”

[End of excerpt]