HK booksellers' disappearance a confidence-shaking event

THE case of the disappearance of five Hong Kong booksellers, who all turned up in China, has rocked Hong Kong society to its core, shaking confidence in the mainland's promises of "one country, two systems". At the same time, it has placed China under a microscope with governments around the world accusing Beijing of rampant violation of human rights and international norms by abducting individuals and taking them to the mainland.

Britain, in an unprecedented move, has charged China with "a serious breach" of the Sino-British agreement that led to the handover of the British colony to China in 1997. Other countries, including the US, the European Union and Japan, have condemned the abductions.

China, of course, has denied any wrongdoing, arranging for people it is believed to have abducted to appear on television to assert that they had gone to the mainland of their own free will. Both Lee Bo, a British national, and Gui Minhai, a Swedish national, have publicly asked their governments not to intervene.