More Questions than Answers

Is Carrie Lam really governing Hong Kong? The chaos is out of control...

Everyone in Hong Kong is still reeling from what happened last night, particularly in Yuen Long.

The video footage of people being attacked, including a Stand News reporter who kept her phone rolling on Facebook live while white-shirted thugs hit her, were absolutely shocking. There was a former TVB reporter Ryan Lau whose face was bloody, and a pregnant woman who was injured as well.

Thugs attacking passengers in the MTR train at Yuen Long

The biggest question on people's minds were -- where were the police? Why did it take them so long to respond to the crisis? Hong Kong has 30,000 police officers -- were they all in Sheung Wan firing tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters? They were definitely not along the protest march route because I didn't see any.

Last night when the police finally arrived (after the bloody attacks had taken place), reporters asked them why it took them so long to respond and the police claimed they came as soon as they could, and that they were not looking at their watches when the call came.

It was their condescending attitude that was unacceptable, and telling people to move along instead of asking witnesses what had happened was very bizarre. 

Another curious observation was pro-Beijing lawmaker and lawyer Junius Ho Kwan-yiu who was shown in a video clip on social media shaking hands with white-shirted men in Yuen Long, giving them the thumbs up and saying, "Thanks for your hard work".

Junius Ho last night with white-shirted men in Yuen Long

It was unclear whether the video was taken before or after the melee in Yuen Long MTR station, but some online sleuths managed to match up some people Ho met with those in the station.

On Monday morning Ho held his own press conference where reporters demanded to know why he was shaking hands with these people who could have been thugs. He explained he was passing through the area after dinner and people were asking to take pictures with him...

And then he later had the gall to say it was the protesters who provoked Yuen Long residents to get out their bamboo sticks to "protect themselves".

Is it surprising that his office in Tsuen Wan was surrounded and completely trashed by angry people this afternoon?

The liaison office being pelted with paint and eggs last night

At 3pm today Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor had a press conference, and with her cabinet standing behind her with solemn faces, she reiterated again how she was shocked at the violence last night and again blamed the protesters for instigating the incidents that led to the paint attacks at the liaison office, and the attacks in Yuen Long.

A reporter asked if she prioritized the attacks on the liaison office (that resulted in no injuries) over the 45 who were injured in Yuen Long because a press release was issued at 3.54am when people had been watching the MTR station attacks all evening. Lam said at the time the press release was issued, the government "didn't have all the facts".  A collective groan could be heard all over the city.

Then police chief Stephen Lo Wai-chung dismissed claims there was collusion between the triads and the police; he was later was grilled about why there were no police officers in Yuen Long station when the attacks happened (twice), and he claimed that at the time two officers went to the scene and saw that they would be outnumbered and so they left to call for reinforcements.

What kind of response is that when civilians are literally being beaten up?!

Yoho mall in Yuen Long is completely empty today

As to why calls to 999 were not answered, he claimed the line was jammed with hundreds of calls and they did their best to answer everyone of them. He added they were busy with the situation in Sheung Wan, and protesters in front of the police headquarters and the Legislative Council.


He reiterated what Lam said: "Violence is not a solution to any problem. Violence will only breed more violence. We absolutely do not tolerate such violence."

At this point reporters were getting frustrated and started shouting questions at Lam and Lo -- something unheard of as usually these question and answer sessions are usually civilized.

One asked Lam if she felt she was still able to govern Hong Kong after what happened in the Yuen Long MTR last night, and she replied the government "did poorly" and would endeavour to work harder to improve.

Another collective groan could be heard. Endeavouring to work harder is not good enough, especially when you've said that before, and things are worse.

Junius Ho tries to shake a reporter's hand at a press conference

A reporter asked Lam where she was last night when she was able to give a press conference at 4am on July 2 after Legco was trashed. Lam claimed they were still gathering the facts...

Watching that press conference was like watching robots just say the stock phrases that had been pre-programmed into their brains. Many viewers likened it to the Korean movie, Train to Busan where zombies are on a train.

One reporter even asked Lam, "Can you please speak like a human being?"

Towards the end of the press conference Lam said, "You don't know but I was very upset by what happened last night." If you were, why didn't you tell us last night? Why wait until this morning? And what are you going to do about these white-shirted men who injured at least 45 people?

Today Yuen Long was a ghost town, with businesses shuttered all day or from the afternoon onwards as people were worried about their safety. How come the government didn't address the economic impact these incidents have had on the city? Isn't that what it really cares about in the end?

Arthur Shek incited violence on Saturday

And this evening the police have announced it will raid those involved in the last night's bloody rampage in the MTR station, adding they had triad connections. Why is the police announcing this now and giving these thugs an opportunity to flee Hong Kong?

One can only groan again at the incompetence.

The police should really arrest Arthur Shek, vice president of the Hong Kong Economic Times for inciting violence. On Saturday at the pro-police rally, he instructed people to buy bamboo canes to "beat the kids up" as punishment. And that's what happened the following day.

Why is Hong Kong governance breaking down so fast? It is clear Lam doesn't have control over the city -- she has only been focused on pleasing Beijing, the extradition bill one of her pet projects.

In the meantime everyone is mourning the state of their home, that this is not the Hong Kong they know and love.

Lam and Co. still insist it is the protesters who have brought all these incidents on the city and refuse to set up an independent inquiry into the police handling of protesters.

It's going to be a long, hot summer.