HKSAR chief executive condemns knife attack against Hong Kong lawmaker

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam condemned the knife attack against a Hong Kong lawmaker on Wednesday, stressing that the society should never tolerate any violence.

Lam said she believed Junius Ho, an HKSAR lawmaker running for the re-election in district council of Tuen Mun, was attacked as a district council election candidate during his campaign. Lam sent her regards to him, hoping him to recover soon, according to the HKSAR government.

Ho was stabbed in the left side of his chest by a male in his election campaign event near Richland Garden, Tuen Mun, on Wednesday morning. He was sent to a hospital and fortunately not in a life-threatening condition.

Two of Ho's colleagues sustained injuries in hands and arms.

Lam said she feared that the escalating violence in Hong Kong during the past months would be infectious and that some people are becoming more tolerant of violent behaviors.

But no act of violence should be tolerated in any civilized societies, which should rather be condemned by the whole community, she said.

Lam also said she noticed that because the attack against Ho took place during the district council election campaign, some political groups in Hong Kong are now concerned if some people have intentions or have planned to sabotage the election.

The chief executive stressed that the HKSAR government will, like always, work to hold a fair, just and safe election and the whole society must jointly condemn any actions sabotaging the election, especially the violent ones.

Escalating violence

An official with the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region also condemned escalating violence in the region following the knife attack.

Qiu Hong, deputy head of the liaison office, said violence in Hong Kong is intensifying from vandalism to murder, and some rioters are trying to push Hong Kong into an abyss with those who manipulated behind.

Qiu said the attack is sheer murder with the rioter stabbing his knife into the lawmaker's chest in broad daylight.

The liaison office also strongly condemns vandalism against mainland companies, Xinhua News Agency's office, lawmakers' offices and all other legal businesses in Hong Kong, as well as violence against innocent citizens, said Qiu.

The liaison office fully supports the HKSAR government and the local police to enforce the law strictly and stop violence and chaos, he said.