Ex-villagers' rep hurt in acid attack
A former representative of indigenous villagers in Yuen Long was in a Hong Kong hospital last night with severe burns suffered in an acid attack in Shenzhen that he suspects may have been prompted by his electoral opponents.
Man Kwai-ki, 49, former representative of Mai Po Tsuen, who is planning to seek the post again in elections in January, is in serious condition in Prince of Wales Hospital with second and third-degree burns to 20 per cent of his body.
He was transferred to Hong Kong yesterday from a Shenzhen hospital where he was taken after being attacked at a filling station on Tuesday.
A mainland newspaper said Man had got out of his car at the station in the Futian district at about 11.30am to pay for fuel when a young man splashed the acid on him from a bottle.
Man dodged, but some acid splashed on his back, right arm and stomach, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.
An employee at the station said Man gave chase but had to give up because he was in pain. He said Man took off his clothes and went to the toilet to wash off the corrosive liquid then paid his bill before getting into an ambulance.
Another staff member told the newspaper she heard Man saying that it was the second time he had been the victim of an acid attack, the previous time being in a pub.
Man told the newspaper he suspected his electoral opponents might be responsible, because they held very different views on various issues.
But he said it could also have been related to an affair he had on the mainland. He said he frequented entertainment venues there and had met a girl in a karaoke club, and visited her every time he went to Shenzhen.
Man Fu-wan, chairman of San Tin rural committee, told the newspaper he was shocked and had never heard about such a dispute in the more than 50 villages in the area.
The Home Affairs Department, which runs the village poll, refused to comment, while incumbent Mai Po Tsuen representative Wong Fuk-on could not be reached for comment.
The case is being handled by Shenzhen police. A spokesman for the Hong Kong government said it was concerned about the incident.
