Former Hong Kong District Councilor: Man Who Attacked Yaita Akio Previously Jailed for Drug Trafficking in Hong Kong

(CNA Taipei, July 7) Yaita Akio, CEO of the Indo-Pacific Strategy Think Tank, was attacked yesterday by a Chinese national surnamed Liao. Li Wenhao, a former Hong Kong district councilor who has since moved to Taiwan, told CNA that according to information he has, the man who attacked Yaita Akio is named 'Liao Kong-fat' and was previously sentenced to 4 years and 2 months in prison in Hong Kong in 2016 for trafficking dangerous drugs.

According to a judgment statement from May 27, 2016, on the website of the Hong Kong Judiciary, a man named 'Liao Kong-fat' pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking ketamine and was sentenced to 4 years and 2 months in prison. At that time, he was also serving a 1-year sentence for another offense of unlawful assembly and affray.

Furthermore, Liao Kong-fat was sent to a rehabilitation center in December 2010 for a conviction of assault. The judgment statement indicated that Liao Kong-fat was 22 years old at the time and had a junior secondary education.

Li Wenhao told CNA that according to the information he possesses, the man who attacked Yaita Akio is named Liao Kong-fat, and he is the same person mentioned in the aforementioned judgment statement.

However, judicial and police authorities have not yet confirmed whether the 'Liao Kong-fat' mentioned in the case above is the same individual as the man surnamed Liao suspected of attacking Yaita Akio yesterday. Related information still awaits verification and comparison by judicial and police authorities.

On July 6, Yaita Akio was invited to be a guest speaker at a camp organized by the Chun Yu Foundation in Taichung City. As he was leaving the hotel at noon, he was followed and punched in the face by an unidentified assailant. After being sent to the hospital by staff, he immediately went to the police to report the incident. That afternoon, Taichung police intercepted and arrested the suspect, a Chinese national surnamed Liao, at Taichung International Airport as he was attempting to board a flight.

Yaita Akio later posted on Facebook stating that he will not back down or yield to any form of violence or intimidation. He will continue to speak out for Taiwan's freedom and democracy with a rational and firm attitude, and promote Taiwan-Japan friendship as always. (Editor: Chiu Kuo-chiang) 1150707

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