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A Hong Kong man was killed after stabbing a police officer and then himself in a case the city’s security chief described as “a lone wolf terrorist attack,” as the Chinese Communist Party marked the centenary of its foundation.
The attack on Thursday evening, which left the agent in a serious condition, occurred despite an overwhelming security operation at the Asian financial center to prevent protests.
“We strongly condemn this kind of violence,” said Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive. “These behaviors are clearly aimed at the stability of our society.”
The attack came despite the government’s success in extinguishing Hong Kong’s anti-government protest movement through the mass arrest of activists and the introduction of a national security law last year.
Analysts said the incident will be used to justify further crackdown, as Beijing intends to make the city within reach after mass demonstrations in 2019 to protect the freedoms guaranteed in the city after its handover to China in 1997.
The 28-year-old officer was stabbed outside a department store in Causeway Bay, one of the city’s busiest shopping districts and the usual meeting point for protests.
The 50-year-old suspect was stabbed in the chest with the same weapon and was certified dead after being sent to hospital. The videos showed him lying in a pool of blood at the scene.
Hong Kong officials hold a flag-raising ceremony on Thursday to mark the 24th anniversary of the return of the former British colony to China © AP
Hong Kong Security Secretary Chris Tang, unspecified, vowed to address those who “defended violence, incited hostility, hatred towards society and the country,” which he say they were the main factors behind the incident.
“These people pushing from behind have their hands full of blood,” he said.
Experts said that while the man’s motivation was unclear, the case would be seen by authorities as evidence they had not done enough to stifle Hong Kong’s anti-government movement.
“It was such an important day for the regime, [yet] with so many measures there are still problems, ”said Ray Yep, a political scientist at City University of Hong Kong.
Others said the city’s pro-Beijing politicians would try to equate the stabbing with the broader pro-democracy movement. “This can be used as an argument for strict controls under national security law, or perhaps even for an extension of its application,” said Ian Chong, a professor of political science at Singapore National University.
A handful of people rushed to the scene of the stabbings with white flowers on Friday to mourn the attacker’s death.
Separately, police found flammable objects that were thrown at the government house, Lam’s residence, and detained at least 19 people for acts such as distribution of seditious publications and possession of weapons.
The incidents came after Chinese President Xi Jinping presided over a crowded ceremony in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. marks the founding of the party in 1921.
Thursday also marked the 24th anniversary of Hong Kong’s 1997 transfer from the UK to China.
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