The stabbing of a Hong Kong police officer on the night of July 1 could result in Hong Kong citizens having even more of their liberties restricted.
July 1 has been the date of the annual pro-democracy march in Hong Kong in recent years. But not this year. After the implementation of the National Security Law, there was no pro-democracy march. However, many citizens walked in the streets, wearing black, protesting in silence.
Hong Kong police dispatched tens of thousands of police officers to patrol the streets. The atmosphere was depressing, according to people at the scene.
At about 10 o'clock that night, a man by the name of Leung Kin-Fai stabbed a policeman on duty in Causeway Bay. Leung then stabbed himself in the chest.
According to official statements, upon being rushed to the hospital, Leung had already succumbed to his self-inflicted injuries. The policeman was on the brink of death, having sustained severe injuries to his lungs. Later, his condition improved somewhat, but was still classified as “critical.”
More Arrests Made
However, on the morning of July 4, Hong Kong police arrested a man and a woman in connection with the stabbing case for posting “provocative” remarks on the internet.The official Facebook page of the Hong Kong police said that, following the Leung Kin-Fai “assassination incident” on July 1, the police found people posting “provocative” remarks on the internet. Police subsequently arrested a 20-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman.
The two are not related, according to police. They were suspected of “inciting others to murder,” “inciting others to commit arson,” and “harboring the intention to incite.”
The police statement didn’t explain which social media platform they posted on, or what specific remarks they had made that constituted the crime of “inciting.”
Suicide Note
According to reports, the police found a suicide note on a USB stick Leung carried on his body. There was also information criticizing the Hong Kong police and a statement about the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law undermining the freedom of Hong Kong citizens.Local Hong Kong media reported that the police also found a lot of content related to the Anti-Extradition Law Movement on Leung’s computer as well as newspaper clippings at his home.
Since the commencement of the Anti-Extradition Law Movement a few years ago, Hong Kong police have been strongly condemned by people from all walks of life for their violent suppression of protesters under orders from the CCP.
Hong Kong citizens clearly felt a sense of solidarity with Leung. The day after the incident, many people went to Causeway Bay to leave flowers in memory of Leung. However, police patrolled and intercepted people, and they also cleaned away the flowers. On July 4, police continued to patrol and stand guard at Causeway Bay, preventing people from leaving flowers.
The case has now been taken over by the Hong Kong National Security Agency, an agency controlled by the CCP. After the initial investigation, Hong Kong police claimed that Leung was “influenced by false information and inflammatory remarks” and carried out the “assassination.”
Some people working in the Hong Kong media expressed concern that the National Security Agency will use this case to designate certain media outlets or social media accounts as “inciting violence” to expand the target group.
Li Hengqing, an economist at the U.S. Institute of Information and Strategy, told The Epoch Times that the case is indicative of the desperation of the Hong Kong people as a whole, but one should also think about the CCP’s factors behind it.
