TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hong Kong activist Henry Tong Wai-hung (湯偉雄) said Thursday he was temporarily closing his Muay Thai workshop in Taipei after a second red paint attack, describing it as foreign intimidation.

Tong, who also goes by the name Fu Tong (赴湯), fled to Taiwan after facing charges for participating in democracy protests in Hong Kong. He said he recently faced politically motivated threats disguised as a debt dispute, per CNA.

In November, someone threw red paint at his workshop. The Mainland Affairs Council said at the time the incident was an example of Chinese intimidation across borders.

Tong told a news conference in Taipei on Thursday that the attacker had first pretended to be interested in a course. During the second attack early Wednesday morning, the perpetrator threw leaflets around demanding payment of debts, Tong said.

The incident scared the landlord and neighbors, leading Tong to suspend classes. He said he was considering moving to another location but expected the harassment would follow him.

Human rights groups called on the government to treat the case as more than a law-and-order issue. They said that without a systematic approach, victims would continue to live in fear and face the risk of repression. Targets of cross-border harassment need to know where they can report cases, campaigners said.