Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy figure and bookseller Lam Wing-kee has died at the age of 70. He passed away on Thursday, 2 July 2026, at the Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, following a battle with stage four lung cancer.
A Symbol Of Defiance And Liberty
Lam was internationally recognised as one of five publishers associated with Causeway Bay Books who disappeared in 2015. His subsequent detention by mainland Chinese authorities drew widespread alarm regarding the erosion of Hong Kong’s civil liberties and the reach of China’s security apparatus.
Following his release and a public campaign to expose the details of his detention, Lam fled to Taiwan in April 2019. He left Hong Kong due to concerns over proposed extradition legislation, later reopening his bookstore in Taipei in 2020 as a defiant symbol of freedom.
Tributes To A Life Of Courage
The Taiwanese government led tributes to the late activist, highlighting his role in the broader struggle for democratic values. Speaking on the legacy left by the bookseller, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te stated: “The passing of Mr Lam Wing-kee is deeply saddening, but the courage he left behind would not fade. Taiwan will remember that a Hong Kong bookstore worker once told us in the most ordinary yet most steadfast way how precious freedom is and reminded us that democracy requires the efforts of generation after generation to defend it.”
Former Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo also paid her respects to her late colleague. Writing on social media, she noted: “My friend Lam Wing Kee of Causeway Bay Books died of lung cancer in Taipei today.”
Lam is expected to be remembered by pro-democracy movements for his role in highlighting the challenges to freedom of expression in the region. Further details regarding memorial services have yet to be announced.