'Jimmy Sham Attack May Be A Ploy To Delay Polls'

Pro-democracy lawmakers have strongly condemned an attack on Civil Human Rights Front convenor Jimmy Sham, questioning whether the assault was planned to give the government a reason to postpone or even cancel the upcoming district council elections.

Police say Sham was assaulted by up to five men with hammers in Mong Kok on Wednesday night – the second attack on him in two months.

The convenor of the pan-democratic camp, Tanya Chan, called the latest attack on Sham “uncivilised”, and questioned why the head of a group which advocates peaceful and lawful protests could warrant such ferocious treatment.

She questioned whether some people had intentionally stirred up even more chaos in society in order to give the government an excuse to postpone or even scrap November's district council polls.

Council Front lawmaker Claudia Mo echoed Chan, saying she believes the assault is meant to send a chilling effect in society.

“We can’t help but feel that this entire thing is part of a plan to shed blood on Hong Kong’s peaceful protests. If you think you’re being peaceful and you’re safe, you’re not, and so think twice before you take to the streets”, she said.

“It also happens that Jimmy is also running in the upcoming district council elections, and this attack might just once again be politically motivated, not just on the protest front but also the election front”.

Sham is running against incumbent Michael Wong in Sha Tin.

The Chief Secretary, Matthew Cheung, also said on Thursday that the attack on Sham was unacceptable. On a radio programme, Cheung said no violence can be tolerated.