Democrat MP Albert Ho attacked

Three "unidentified" assailants yesterday beat up Albert Ho Chun-yan, Democratic Party vice-chairman, after a protest march. Hong Kong's political world has unanimously condemned the attack while Beijing has remained silent.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews/SCMP) – Unidentified assailants attacked Hong Kong's Democratic Party vice-chairman, Albert Ho Chun-yan, as he ate in a fast food outlet in Queen's Road Central. The politician had just taken part in a protest march against the goods and services tax proposed by the Legislative Council.

Hong Kong's political circles condemned the event, describing it as "a serious incident that could not be tolerated", while Beijing did not comment. The main national media did not report the news, devoting their front pages to the visit of the "Queen" Canadian ship in Chinese territorial waters.

The attack took place at about 5.30pm [local time] when three men rushed into the restaurant and approached the table where Ho, 55 years, and Howard Lam Chi-kin, 31, a member of the Democratic Party's central committee, were seated.

"Three muscular men, wearing caps and jeans, sprinted towards us," Lam said.

"They shoved me aside and pushed Albert onto the floor. They beat him about the head and body with baseball bats and police batons. The attack lasted as long as three minutes."

He added: "The attack was obviously well planned. They wore their caps in a way that you could not recognize their faces and they acted very fast."

Immediately after the attack, Ho was admitted to Queen Mary hospital to be treated for serious injuries on his face and the rest of his body – one of the blows broke his nose – but doctors said he was in "stable" condition and they discharged him after first aid treatment.

The territory's Chief Executive, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, offered assistance to Ho and his family and pledged "every effort would be made to track down the culprits".

This is the first time a Hong Kong politician has been attacked but there have been many cases of intimidation and vandalism by "unknown" assailants against democratic or independent MPs.  Two weeks ago, Audrey Eu Yuet-mee – leader of the Civic Party – received death threats along with a cutter blade in a letter, and a former radio talk show host who is now a MP, Albert Cheng King-hon, was injured in 1998 as he went to the radio station. He often used to denounce China's pretexts and corruption of members of Hong Kong's government and bureaucracy on radio.

Meanwhile, attacks perpetrated by "unknown" assailants are on the rise in China, where thorny social problems like land distribution to peasants and legal controversies like the possession of places of worship are resolved by "unidentified vandals" who attack those daring to protest in public against government injustices.

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