A man set himself on fire at Hong Kong's legislative chamber yesterday. He was taken away alive after security officers extinguished the flames, according to officials who said he was carrying a complaint about sewage charges that are paid by restaurants.
After dousing himself with purple liquid as he walked into the Legislative Council building, the man left a letter at a security checkpoint then used a lighter to set himself ablaze, said Joanne Chan, a spokeswoman for the Legislature.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Three security officers sprayed the man with foam from fire extinguishers, Chan said, and the man was taken to a local hospital where officials listed him in critical condition.
Police identified the man only by his surname, Sun.
The letter he carried was worded mildly and focused on troubles in the restaurant industry.
The letter also mentioned the plight of Hong Kong people living in apartments that are now worth less than what they owe on their mortgages.
"I am very dissatisfied with the government policy and I hope to raise concern from everybody in Hong Kong," the unsigned letter concluded.
A local reporter, Law Sin-chu of the Hong Kong Economic Times, was working inside the legislative building and rushed out after noticing smoke near the entrance. Law said the man was laying down, face up and covered with foam just inside the door.
Opposition lawmaker Martin Lee (
"There were some red areas on his face and maybe the hair looked burned," Lee said. "He was conscious. He was talking."
Lee said he was saddened to see somebody feel the need to "do things like that."
A government spokeswoman, who used customary anonymity, said there was no immediate indication of any connection with Falun Gong, the meditation sect banned in China and facing a severe crackdown there.
Falun Gong remains legal in Hong Kong and a local spokesman, Kan Hung-cheung, said the group was not involved.
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