The police will provide protection to newly elected lawmaker Eddie Chu Hoi-dick, after Chu reported death threats against him to the force. Chu explained the threats were made by people in Hong Kong.
He came out of police headquarters in Wan Chai at around 6:30pm – five hours after he went inside to report the case – to speak to reporters and supporters waiting for him, before going in again to give another round of statements to the police. He requested police protection.
“Other than giving details about the threats, I am engaged in a risk assessment exercise, to evaluate the degree of risk that my family and I are facing. They are arranging a suitable protection scheme for me,” he said. “I will discuss with my family about how our safety can be protected under the premise of not affecting our lives.”
He said the police provided different options for him. He said the protection will be implemented the moment he leaves the police headquarters.
Earlier on Thursday, Chu said violent threats against himself and his family have intensified over the past few days, endangering his life and the lives of his family, after he was elected on Monday. Chu and his family have not been back to their home since Sunday owing to safety concerns.
Chu said he believed that the threats did not involve forces outside Hong Kong.
“I will not submit to this kind of political violence – I will continue to fulfill my election promises, to monitor the government and make Hong Kong better,” he said.
“I should be an example in protecting Hong Kong people’s freedom of speech, our freedom to express political views. We should not back down in the face of any violent threats – this is my promise to Hong Kong people.”
He added that he cannot disclose details of the threats, as the matter was under investigation.
Chu previously said he was threatened in May.
He told HKFP on Monday: “A village chief in Yuen Long called me. He said if I continue to get involved in [advocating] the plan to build 17,000 public housing units in an outdoor warehouse in Wang Chau, someone will attack me after September 4 [election].”
But Chu has carried on questioning pro-Beijing lawmaker Leung Che-cheung of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong during his election campaign.
He accused Leung of colluding with rural kingpin Tsang Shu-wo to stop the plan, in order for Tsang to keep his land from being taken back by the government.
Tsang is the chairman of the Ping Shan Rural Committee, part of the powerful rural body Heung Yee Kuk.
The Hong Kong Security Bureau stated on Thursday that “the Secretary for Security is following closely and attaches great importance to the report that a lawmaker-elect and his family have received threats to their personal safety.”
