Pro-democracy activist Tommy Cheung was physically attacked on Monday night, according to fellow activists. Cheng is a potential candidate in the March legislative by-elections.
UPDATE: Pro-democracy election hopeful Tommy Cheung says he was punched, kicked and attacked with umbrella
His campaign team said that Cheung was beaten outside his election office in Tai Wai at around 11pm, suffering injuries to his head and right arm. They said he was assaulted by two non-ethnic Chinese men with dark skin tone, aged around 30 to 40 years. Cheung was transported to the Prince of Wales Hospital for treatment, where he spoke with police.
23-year-old Cheung said earlier in the day that he received a letter containing a blade and a piece of newspaper featuring the word “kill.”
The newspaper clipping referred to a press conference he held last week where he claimed that a number of pro-Beijing figures – including some at the Federation of Trade Unions – were linked to two companies targeted by striking cleaning workers at Cheung Sha Wan’s Hoi Lai Estate.
【面對惡勢力．絕不低頭】今日下午時份，中大學生會收到一封寄給「中文大學學生會張秀賢」的匿名信，打開後內有一張有關我與初選對手在海麗邨調查上的剪報，上面貼有一條刀片，並用上紅色筆寫的一個「殺」字，以及塗去「張秀賢」名字。我 Tommy…
Posted by Tommy Cheung 張秀賢 on Monday, 8 January 2018
Cheung and his team checked the Company Registry and alleged that the two firms concerned were part of a large, suspected bid-rigging network also involving business people, former Housing Department officials, property management figures, engineering and security companies and an unnamed triad group.
“We strongly condemn the attackers,” his team said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Cheung is one of three candidates in the primaries to be held this Sunday, to select a single pro-democracy candidate to run in the Legislative Council by-election for the New Territories East constituency this March.
As of last month, Cheung’s campaign had been receiving support from Lam Wing-kee, a Hong Kong bookseller who went missing from Shenzhen and returned to Hong Kong in 2016 claiming that he was kidnapped and detained by the Chinese authorities.
Cheung also said that localist activist Ray Wong of Hong Kong Indigenous – who is currently missing – and disqualified lawmaker Baggio Leung of Youngspiration endorsed him last year. But, in late December, localist activist Ventus Lau said that Leung had supported him instead – leading Cheung to criticise Leung for breaking his promise.
Cheung is also scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday as one of nine pro-democracy figures charged with public nuisance for their parts in the 2014 pro-democracy Occupy protests.