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Police analyse the crime scene where a man stabbed a police officer and killed himself outside Sogo in Causeway Bay. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Opinion
Editorial
by SCMP Editorial
Editorial
by SCMP Editorial

Police stabbing probe must yield lessons to make city even safer

  • Such ‘lone wolf ‘ attacks are an assault on our way of life and cannot be tolerated

Hong Kong cherishes its reputation for safe streets – even more so after pictures of the clashes between police and protesters in 2019 went around the world. It is paramount to its future as a finance, business and tourist hub.

Any attack with a weapon in a busy thoroughfare is anathema to that image.

An unprovoked stabbing in the back of an unsuspecting police officer by a lone assailant in Causeway Bay on Thursday night has shocked the city, not least because of overtones of unhealed deep divisions in society.

01:59

Assailant dies after stabbing Hong Kong police officer and then himself on busy street

Assailant dies after stabbing Hong Kong police officer and then himself on busy street

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said it was a “terrorist” attack. Preliminary investigations showed the assailant was a “lone wolf” but police were still probing his background. They apparently found propaganda material and suicide notes mentioning plots to kill police for the sake of the city.

This raises questions about his state of mind as well as motive.

The incident occurred despite heavy security for Thursday’s July 1 double anniversary celebrations of the Communist Party centenary and the return of Hong Kong to China. It does nothing to ease tensions still simmering in society amid continuing arrests under the national security law imposed on the city by Beijing.
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Security police are bound to redouble their vigilance, especially over social media.

Hong Kong police on high alert after officer stabbing by ‘lone-wolf domestic terrorist’

Fortunately it is an isolated attack. The officer is recovering from serious injuries. The attacker, a 50-year-old purchasing manager, then took his own life.

More details may yet be revealed that could shed light on the exact circumstances of the attack.

The reaction of top officials shows underlying concerns. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the incident went against the stability of society.

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Security chief Tang said it was not just the assailant who was responsible. “There are also many people who have … incited hatred toward society and the country.”

03:50

A subdued July 1 handover anniversary as heavy police presence seen on the streets

A subdued July 1 handover anniversary as heavy police presence seen on the streets

The attack eluded a massive police security operation with 10,000 officers on a day that usually included a big protest march, banned on public health grounds because of the pandemic.

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It showed that without good intelligence, it is difficult to stop such lone wolf attacks. They are an assault on our way of life and cannot be tolerated. Hopefully, the investigation will yield lessons in policing and intelligence gathering that help make the city an even safer place.

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