The police have said that they do not have any new information on two of the missing booksellers, Lui Por and Cheung Chi-ping. Both went back to the mainland mere hours after submitting requests to the police to have their missing persons’ cases dropped, according to the SCMP.

Along with Lee Bo, Lam Wing-kee and Gui Minhai, the two were reported missing late last year. They all resurfaced in the mainland in recent weeks. The five men worked at Causeway Bay Books, which was known for selling books banned in mainland China.

The police told HKFP that they “do not have any further updates” with regards to the booksellers, after they published press releases on the two men’s cases, dated last Friday for Lui Por and Sunday for Cheung Chi-ping.

missing booksellers lee bo
The five missing booksellers. Photo: HKFP.

The press releases said that the two men had requested that the police cancel their missing persons’ cases and denied that they required any assistance from the Hong Kong government or the police. Both men also refused to disclose further details.

Both Lui and Cheung are facing charges in the mainland for distributing banned books. Lee appeared in a television interview on February 29, saying that he went back to the mainland of his own accord and that he intended to give up his British citizenship. Gui appeared making a televised confession on January 17 admitting to killing a student while drink-driving.

The police said in the press releases that they will “continue to follow up on the other two missing person cases with the Interpol Guangdong Liaison Office of Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department for further details.”

The two still considered missing are Lee Bo and Lam Wing-Kee.

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Chantal Yuen is a Hong Kong journalist interested in issues dealing with religion and immigration. She majored in German and minored in Middle Eastern studies at Princeton University.