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Chris Lau

Christy Leung

Alvin Lum

Political journalist covering in Hong Kong politics, justice system and policy analysis.


The leader of a pro-democracy group responsible for some of the largest peaceful protest marches in Hong Kong was attacked on Wednesday, four days before another planned mass rally.
Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit, convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front, was set upon by at least four non-ethnic Chinese assailants on Arran Street in Mong Kok at 7.40pm, a police source said.
The attack was the second against Sham in less than two months.
The Civil Human Rights Front said Sham had been smashed over the head with hammers and spanners but was conscious when sent to Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei. He was understood to be in stable condition.




A photo of Sham following the attack showed the activist lying on the ground near a white vehicle with blood spilled around him.
Police said Sham was bleeding from his head and arms when officers found him. The suspects fled in a car which officers were pursuing, the force said. An investigation was under way.
Government condemns attack on Hong Kong protest leader
Fellow rights front member Figo Chan said witnesses had told him onlookers tried to stop the ambush but Sham’s attackers pointed a knife at them.
Sham had been making his way to the democracy group’s annual general meeting where he was expected to discuss a march from Tsim Sha Tsui to West Kowloon railway station set for Sunday.

Chan said the march would proceed as planned.
The rights front condemned the attack, saying it would have a “chilling effect” on democracy advocates and fuel fears of “white terror” in Hong Kong.
China warns US it will take ‘countermeasures’ over Hong Kong bill
The attack was not the first against Sham. He and his assistant Law Kwok-wai were in late August set upon by two people in masks wielding a baseball bat and a rod, hours after the pair were told by police that a rally they had planned for the following weekend had been banned.
Police later arrested three male suspects, including a 15-year-old boy. The youngster was charged with conspiracy to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and appeared at Kowloon City Juvenile Court. Two other suspects remain at large.
In addition to his activism, Sham is contesting a seat in Hong Kong’s district council elections set for November, at Lek Yuen in Sha Tin.




A number of Hong Kong lawmakers from the city’s pan-democratic camp were among those visiting Sham at Kwong Wah Hospital on Wednesday night, including Shiu Ka-chun, Tanya Chan, Wu Chi-wai, Ip Kin-yuen, Raphael Wong Ho-ming and “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung.
Fifteen-year-old boy arrested over attack on activist Jimmy Sham and his assistant
Tanya Chan, the bloc’s convenor, condemned the attack and called it shocking. She urged police to investigate as soon as possible.
“What has Hong Kong turned into?” she asked.
Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting said “the assault is clearly politically motivated”. He accused police of failing to protect opposition politicians and activists. Lam said he had been assaulted by government supporters in June but that police had not made any arrests.


Sha Tin district councillor Wong Yue-hon, who is campaigning against Sham for another term on the council in the November elections, condemned “all forms of violence” and wished Sham a speedy recovery.
“I do hope there will be a fair election and it will not be affected by this incident,” he said.
But Wong discouraged Hongkongers from attending Sunday’s rally, warning that it would descend into chaos like other protests in recent months.
Election hopefuls insist use of ‘liberate’ slogan is not independence call
“I hope the government can come up with a concrete proposal to restore social order, instead of the city seeing more and more injuries,” he said.
Since August, at least nine pro-democracy figures have been attacked, including Democratic Party lawmaker Roy Kwong Chun-yu. Offices of pro-establishment politicians, meanwhile, have been trashed by radical protesters during the anti-government protests.




Ng Tak-nam, chief inspector of Mong Kok district, said the attackers, who were masked and were wearing black tops, assaulted Sham causing a 3cm (1.2-inch) wound on his forehead.
Ng condemned the violence and believed the crime was organised as the attackers had been wandering in the area for some time.
“After the attack, they jumped into a black private car and fled in the direction to Sham Shui Po,” Ng said. “Witnesses have told us the car had been driving in the area for a while. The attack was swift and the suspects wore similar clothing.”
Ng added uniformed officers were protecting Sham in hospital and they were investigating whether the case was linked to the previous attack in August.


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Hong Kong protests

Jimmy Sham, leader of Hong Kong democracy group Civil Human Rights Front, attacked on Mong Kok street

Jimmy Sham is pictured after Wednesday’s attack. Photo: Facebook

General view of the Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei. 27FEB19 SCMP / Winson Wong

Government condemns attack on Hong Kong protest leader Jimmy Sham

Sham was seen in a wheelchair talking to his lawyer on Thursday morning. Photo: Martin Choi

Civil Human Rights Front convenor Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit was attacked at Arran Lane in Mong Kok. 16OCT19 Photo:Facebook

Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung attend RTHK Radio 1 phone-in programme and talks about Policy Address 2019. 17OCT19 SCMP/ Xiaomei Chen

Four months of Hong Kong protests: how peaceful mass marches escalated to intense violence, a bitterly divided society and a loss of innocence

Four months since the start of the protests, Hong Kong has become familiar with intense violence, wanton destruction and a divided society, while more than 2,000 people have been arrested. Illustration: Adolfo Arranz

Anti-government supporters offer words of encouragement at the Lennon Wall in Kowloon Bay, near the Amoy Plaza. 21SEP19 SCMP / Dickson Lee

A masked anti-government protester leaves after helping to set a fire at the entrance of a metro station, in Hong Kong, China October 6, 2019. REUTERS/Susana Vera TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Anti-government protesters damage a China Construction Bank branch following a rally in defiance of the anti-mask law issued by the government on October 5, 2019. 06OCT19 SCMP / Felix Wong

Scuffles break out between riot police and anti-government protesters as they throw petrol bombs following a rally in defiance of the anti-mask law issued by the government on October 5, 2019. 06OCT19 SCMP / Sam Tsang

Criminal lawyer Edwin Choy opens up on resignation from Hong Kong Bar Association, saying his outlook on protest violence diverged too much from others

Edwin Choy says he was convinced his outlook diverged too much from that of the Bar Council to remain among its ranks. Photo: Winson Wong

Fifteen-year-old boy arrested over attack on Hong Kong rights activist Jimmy Sham and his assistant

Civil Human Rights Front convenor Jimmy Sham was attacked at a cafe in Jordan last Thursday. Photo: Nora Tam

General view of Kowloon City Law Courts Building. 03MAY16

A friend of the FrontÃs convenor Jimmy Sham was attacked by baseball bat on Thursday. Photo:Jimmy Sham

Hong Kong lawmaker Ann Chiang and Civil Human Rights Front convenor Jimmy Sham locked in heated Facebook row over his sexual orientation

Activist Jimmy Sham (left) and lawmaker Ann Chiang trade barbs over accusations she made against him online. Photo: Dickson Lee/K.Y. Cheng

FILE PHOTO: Silhouettes of mobile users are seen next to a screen projection of Facebook logo in this picture illustration taken March 28, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Lawmaker Ann Chiang Lai-wan speaks about relaxation of internship requirements for overseas-trained specialist doctors, photographed at Commercial Radio Hong Kong in Kowloon Tong. 27APR19 SCMP / Edmond So

(centre) Civil Human Rights Front's convener Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit attends a press conference in Mong Kok regarding tomorrow's second march against the extradition bill. 15JUN19 SCMP / Edmond So

News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime


Sham is smashed in the head with hammers and spanners by at least four assailants who then flee in a car
The activist’s pro-democracy group has been responsible for some of Hong Kong’s biggest protest marches in recent years



Jimmy Sham, convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front, is smashed in the head with hammers and spanners on a Mong Kok street by at least four assailants who then flee in a car.


Crime in Hong Kong

Crime

Jimmy Sham, leader of Hong Kong democracy group Civil Human Rights Front, attacked on Mong Kok street

Sham is smashed in the head with hammers and spanners by at least four assailants who then flee in a car The activist’s pro-democracy group has been responsible for some of Hong Kong’s biggest protest marches in recent years

Sham is smashed in the head with hammers and spanners by at least four assailants who then flee in a car

The activist’s pro-democracy group has been responsible for some of Hong Kong’s biggest protest marches in recent years