Government's Mixed Messages on Coronavirus Battle

Lam clarifies 290,000 are trips into Hong Kong, not people

In a rare admission, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor actually apologized about the trouble caused to those who were forced to eat outside due to the dining-in ban that was implemented on July 29 and then abruptly U-turned two days later.

"I admit we haven't balanced well in considering public health tolerance of the business sectors and pubic needs," Lam said in a radio program this morning. "That led to the scenes that happened on July 29, the first day [the ban] came into effect. We are very sorry about that."

She said the government decided to change the restriction the day after after realizing the problem and how it affected the grass roots community, such as construction workers.

But how will the reversal in the decision help keep the virus numbers down?

Many were forced to eat meals outside for 2 days

Also interesting to note how defensive she was on Friday evening about the number of 290,000 that we all had assumed to the point to be the number of people who were exempted from quarantine.

Lam explained that actually it was 290,000 trips into Hong Kong. She claimed for example a truck driver would come in and out of Hong Kong several times a day, which would contribute to the 290,000 number.

Is this true? Someone needs to fact check this.

Nevertheless, Lam's apology to the grass roots wasn't enough to keep the number of new coronavirus cases down, with 125 reported today for a total of 3,396, and four deaths to a total of 31.

Today Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection's communicable disease branch advised people not to gather with loved ones for the time being.

"We also observed some extended family clusters, for example, the grandparents, children or the aunties, because they have had some family gatherings during weekends as usual," she said.

"So we think we may have to stop this practice for one or two weeks, to maintain the social distancing... especially if we want to protect the elderly."

Dr Chuang says family gatherings need to stop

How about telling that to others having house parties, birthday parties and the like? Many think these restrictions don't pertain to them, but fighting the virus is a city-wide effort. We can't let our guard down now especially during this third wave.

Apparently Lam has asked Beijing for help in conducting mass coronavirus testing, and 60 clinical technicians will come here, with seven arriving tomorrow.

When she was asked for more details, CHP's Chuang had no more information, as she herself had read it in the media! A reporter asked if these technicians would be quarantined for two weeks before beginning their work, and again Chuang could not answer.

Some people are concerned these technicians here are actually going to collect people's DNA, much like what is being done on Uighurs in Xinjiang.

Lam leaves a radio station after her interview

It's a terrifying thought and the media will be watching this closely.

Meanwhile, Lam continues her repression of Hong Kong's next generation. In a radio interview, she said many young people have got it wrong when they think being anti-government or anti-Beijing is a way out. She warned if they step across the bottom line of "One Country, Two Systems", their future will be doomed.

How encouraging.

As for the six activists who fled Hong Kong and are now on the Hong Kong Police's wanted list, their threats might be empty ones -- for now.

Lawyer Michael Vidler, who specializes in criminal and human rights cases said that just being on a wanted list in Hong Kong doesn't mean much unless that person in question is in the city, but if they've been put on an Interpol wanted list, then "that is a different matter", because that will affect their possibility of traveling elsewhere.

Vidler says wanted list on Interpol more serious

"Firstly, if they've already been granted asylum, and they've got refugee status in wherever they are, then they won't be returned to Hong Kong," said Vidler.

"If they're in a location where there is an existing extradition treaty, then the local courts will have to determine whether it is appropriate under the existing terms of the extradition treaty for those individuals to be returned."

And since some countries like the UK, Australia and Canada have suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong, then these individuals would not be returned to Hong Kong anytime soon.

Bagging Another Tiger?

China has confirmed Meng Hongwei of Interpol is being investigated

Hot on the heels of actress Fan Bingbing's tax evasion ordeal, on Friday evening there was a curious piece of breaking news -- the Chinese head of Interpol had disappeared and his wife reported him missing to French police.

It has now transpired that Meng Hongwei, 64, was detained by Chinese authorities as soon as he landed in China on a flight from Lyon, France on September 29.

His wife Grace is worried for her and her children's safety

He has been detained for allegedly taking bribes and "gravely jeopardizing" the country's ruling Communist Party and police. On Sunday Interpol received his resignation letter and has been replaced by South Korean Kim Jong Yang.

Who knows how long Meng will be investigated for and then possibly put on trial.

What is ironic is that when he was appointed head of Interpol in 2016 there were fears he would abuse Interpol's powers to forcibly repatriate Chinese dissidents and fugitives.

But in 2017 he only issued one red notice -- which means a request to provisionally arrest a suspect pending extradition -- for Chinese fugitive tycoon Guo Wengui at Beijing's request.

In 2014 China issued notices for 100 Chinese fugitive officials living overseas.

Beijing's campaign of cracking down on corruption has not abated, and it is willing to sacrifice its reputation on the world stage to take down senior officials, as Meng was also vice-minister of public security in China.

Meng's last message to his wife was an emoji of a knife

His disappearance would have been kept quiet longer if it wasn't for his wife reporting him missing to the French police. It shows that no one -- not even the first Chinese national to head Interpol -- is safe from being investigated, and that domestic issues trump international ones.

Grace Meng, his wife, showed the authorities and the media her last communication with her husband. He told her to wait for his call and then posted an emoji of a knife, hinting danger.

Did he know what would happen if he went back to China? Or did he only find out the moment he landed?

There are too many questions, but one thing is for sure -- it doesn't matter how high up you are, if you have allegedly done something wrong, you will be taken down.