Death Threats Made Against Me, Staff: Chu Hoi-dick

Pro-democracy lawmaker Chu Hoi-dick said on Thursday that he has had reports of multiple death threats being made against him and his staff over the last week, and alleged that some gangsters in the New Territories have put a price on his head.

The opposition lawmaker said he would be making a report to the police about these threats on Thursday.

Chu said he has been forced to leave his home and take precautions after receiving tip-offs from informants and in online messages.

He listed four instances of receiving threats. The first one was on July 24 when lawmaker Junius Ho posted a Facebook message soon after the graves of the pro-government lawmaker's parents were vandalised.

In his Facebook message, Ho accused Chu of asking supporters to desecrate his parents' tombstones and demanded an apology. He had also warned that Chu could choose one of two paths – one where he stays alive and the other where he doesn't.

Chu said that the next day he got a message from an informant with village links that some Yuen Long mobs are willing to pay a five-figure sum for someone to kill Chu. They were looking to tempt people with some chronic disease to do it, Chu said he was told.

The informant warned him not to go on the streets alone and not to make contact with strangers, especially those who claim to be his supporters, the lawmaker said.

Chu said that five days later he got a Facebook message – from a recently created account – saying a rural village was offering a sum to abduct Chu's assistant, linking him to the grave vandalism. The messenger said he had heard this information from some triad groups.

The New Territories West lawmaker said that on the same day, he asked a government source whether triads are targeting him and his team. That person told him that according to his information, over 400 people in Tuen Mun had got ready for action after the grave vandalism, but someone stopped them.

Chu said these threats have stopped him from going to his constituency areas and this is affecting his work as a lawmaker.