HK bans mourning for cop attacker
Authorities say memorials, flowers for suspect is the same as ‘supporting terrorism’
HONG KONG—Hong Kong authorities on Sunday warned residents against mourning a man who killed himself after stabbing a policeman, saying that encouraging such memorials was the same as “supporting terrorism” and criticized parents who took children to mourn him.
The Police National Security Department said it had taken over the case and initial investigations showed it was a “lone wolf-style act of domestic terrorism, in which the attacker was believed to be radicalized by myriad fake information.”
It warned members of the public “not to tolerate or glorify violence.”
Police warning
Hong Kong has become a deeply polarized city, especially since the huge, often violent prodemocracy protests of 2019. Many residents chafe under Beijing’s increasingly authoritarian rule.
On Friday, people went to the scene of the attack, some with children, to pay their respects to the attacker and lay flowers, prompting the latest warning from police.
“Advocating members of the public to mourn for the attacker is no different from supporting terrorism,” the force said in a statement.
Clampdown
Hong Kong and Chinese authorities have clamped down on dissent using a new national security law, under which a terrorism conviction could carry a life sentence, while promoting, inciting and supporting terrorism could result in up to 10 years in prison.
In their Sunday statement, the police said they were investigating if the man who stabbed an officer was “incited” to carry out the attack.
It warned that “any act with a seditious intention” can be prosecuted, carrying a maximum sentence of two years in jail.
Images published by local media from the scene showed some white flowers left by mourners were dumped in trash bins or seized and placed into police vehicles.
China says its crackdown and national security law are needed to restore stability in Hong Kong. But critics, including many western nations, say Beijing has shredded its promise to let the city maintain certain freedoms and autonomy after its 1997 handover.
Tightrope
The political situation has left many companies walking a tightrope as they try not to offend the authorities.
Vitasoy, a Hong Kong beverage conglomerate, had confirmed that the man who attacked the officer last week was its employee, and expressed regret at the tragedy.
But it had to swiftly apologize and condemn the attack after a nationalist backlash on social media in mainland China.
Chinese citizens are calling for a boycott of Vitasoy after an employee circulated a memo online offering condolences to the family of the 50-year-old worker who stabbed the law enforcer on Thursday, the anniversary of former British colony’s return to Chinese rule, media outlets reported.
The worker’s memo triggered a flood of online calls for a boycott of Vitasoy, which gets two-thirds of its revenue from mainland China.
The hash tag “# Vita soy getout of the mainland” has garnered almost 100 million views.
In a statement on the Chinese social media platform Weibo on Saturday, Vitasoy said the circulation of the memo was “extremely inappropriate,” without authorization and the company reserved the right to take legal action.
“Vitasoy Group sincerely apologizes for any troubles or grievances this has caused. We support Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity, stability and development.”