"I've never seen a kneeling bookshelf, only kneeling readers"! Lam Wing-kei, owner of Causeway Bay Books, passes away in Taipei; Premier Cho Chih-chun presents posthumous commendation: Defending democracy and freedom never wavers

Lam Wing-kei, owner of Causeway Bay Books in Hong Kong, passed away in Taipei earlier this month due to illness. His family held a memorial service today at Jinan Church in Taipei. Premier Cho Chih-chun personally attended and presented a posthumous commendation to Lam's family.

In his speech, Premier Cho stated that Lam Wing-kei demonstrated extraordinary courage in resisting authoritarianism and tyranny throughout his life. "Lam’s entire life was a blood-soaked struggle against the Chinese Communist Party’s authoritarian regime, fighting for democracy and freedom," Cho said, expressing the highest respect.

The Causeway Bay Books incident occurred in 2015, when the bookstore was accused of publishing banned books. Lam was one of the individuals detained by Chinese authorities and held incommunicado for eight months. After returning to Hong Kong, he bravely held an international press conference exposing China’s actions. In 2019, amid worsening conditions in Hong Kong, Lam relocated to Taiwan, where he reopened Causeway Bay Books.

Lam passed away on July 2, 2026, in Taipei. His memorial service was held on July 31 at the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan’s Jinan Church. Premier Cho, along with Mainland Affairs Council Chairperson Chiu Chui-cheng, Interior Minister Liu Shih-fang, and Culture Minister Lee Yuan, attended the ceremony. Messages of condolence and floral tributes were sent by President Lai, former President Tsai Ing-wen, and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim.

Premier Cho emphasized Lam’s famous quote: "I’ve never seen a kneeling bookshelf, only kneeling readers." He described this indomitable spirit as the true essence of Hong Kong’s identity. "The Republic of China on Taiwan will forever remain a fortress of freedom for the world. Our resolve to protect democracy, human rights, and freedom will never waver. The bookshelf has never knelt," Cho declared.

Chiu Chui-cheng added that Lam often reminded those around him that Taiwan’s values—freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law—are not gifts from the sky but must be cherished and protected. He expressed profound respect and remembrance for Lam Wing-kei.