Incoming Kowloon West legislator Ann Chiang Lai-wan has responded to Sunday’s knife attack incident in Yau Ma Tei by calling upon the authorities to crack down upon “fake” refugees. The police have yet to confirm the immigration status of the perpetrators.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, the pro-Beijing DAB party lawmaker-elect said that “criminal activities of fake refugees are intensifying… I hope the relevant authorities can take drastic measures to strengthen law enforcement.”
Three people were injured on Sunday after police fired shots to stop a knife attack on a man, in a rare case of violent street crime. Two assailants and the man being attacked were injured. Three men have been arrested, whilst up to three are still at large.
A bullet fired by the police at the scene remained missing as authorities combed the area to collect evidence on Sunday. They found three of the four bullets fired – two were still in the body of the perpetrator, while the third one was found by a snack shop near to where the officer opened fire.
Cantonese warning
Footage uploaded to Apple Daily showed a police officer yelling “put down your weapon” in Cantonese prior to the shooting. A police spokesperson told HKFP that they cannot confirm the language used by the officer.
Phyllis Cheung Fung-mei, executive director of Hong Kong Unison – an advocacy group for ethnic minority rights – told RTHK that they were concerned as to whether the perpetrator was clearly warned.
“[I]f the police can identify that a perpetrator is not ethnically Chinese, they should use English to warn them as well… the police should reflect on whether warning only in Cantonese is enough.”
However, Unison told HKFP that their comments were related to the police approach towards ethnic minorities in general, and not made with regards to the shooting on Sunday morning.
Investigation continues
Apple Daily cited sources claiming that the perpetrators and the victim – all of South Asian origin – were from the same hometown, and were embroiled in a bar fight about a month ago. The police suspect the attacks happened due to a money-related conflict, the newspaper reported.
Around 50 police officers patrolled entertainment venues at the Jordan and Yau Ma Tei areas on Sunday night. At least three Nepalese men were brought to a police station for questioning. The investigation continues.
