Clash for Power in the Legislative Council

Eddie Chu Hoi-dick tries to climb the wall to take over Starry Lee's seat

Beijing's belief that it rules over Hong Kong continued today in a shameless attempt by pro-Beijing lawmakers in the Legislative Council to chair a committee by throwing out pan-democrats.

There hasn't been a chair elected, and Civic Party's Dennis Kwok Wing-hang had been presiding over the previous 17 meetings as vice chairman. The DAB's Starry Lee Wai-king is the incumbent House Committee Chairwoman, but will be up for re-election. So who should be in charge?

However, Beijing was displeased with Kwok's filibustering strategy (which is legal), that has delayed the passing of many bills, including the controversial national anthem bill, outlining how Hongkongers should behave when the March of the Volunteers is played.

Starry Lee (in yellow) is protected by Legco security

Even with a majority in Legco, Beijing couldn't understand why the pro-Beijing bloc could not control this committee until it gave its blessing for lawmakers to physically take control, not legally.

With the collusion of Legco security staff, Lee rushed to occupy the podium seat, beating opposition lawmakers to it; the security staff surrounded her and prevented pan-democrats from getting close to her at all.

Underneath her mask one could see she had a smirk on her face.

Then the rest of the afternoon was watching pan-democrats trying to physically unseat her. At one point Eddie Chu Hoi-dick tried to climb the wall to get at Lee, and then Raymond Chan Chi-chuen was dragged to the ground by Kwok Wai-keung for several metres until one of his colleagues stopped him.

Andrew Wan Siu-kin was expelled and injured his back so paramedics had to put him on a stretcher and wheel him out.

Barefooted Raymond Chan is physically removed from Legco

One by one the pan-democrats were removed, some carried out and shouting, "Starry Lee acting beyond her authority!"

Watching these scenes was surreal and sad to watch. What is happening to law and order in Hong Kong? The Legislative Council is one of the institutions where the Basic Law is supposed to be practiced and here all decorum was dumped in favour of power.

The shenanigans today make the pro-Beijing camp look like blind sheep doing Beijing's bidding. Is this how they want to be remembered especially in the upcoming Legislative Council election in September?

Even former Legco president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing says Beijing's tightening grip on Hong Kong will only make its people even more resistant of the central government.

Jasper Tsang says decorum must be followed in Legco

He was being interviewed by Emily Lau Wai-hing just as these scuffles were happening in Legco.

"If everybody still believes that we should try our best to put 'One Country, Two Systems' back on the right track, that we should resolve our differences by working out a way forward which can be acceptable to all stakeholders, then we have to find a way to try to break the vicious cycle," Tsang said. 

"It's so easy when we have arrived at this point for everybody to stick to their position. I can't see any good coming from that."

He also said it was crucial for democracy to be practiced in Legco.

"For the institution to function properly you need a consensus among all the different parties. You need a common purpose to allow the council to work. This is important," he said.

"So the majority always has to understand and respect the wishes of the minority. Of course, the minority should also abide by the rule that the decisions should be taken by the majority," he added.

Does Tsang want to mediate between the two sides?

He sounds like the only level-headed adult in the room at the moment...

Anger Continues to Seethe

Hong Kong Polytechnic University was on fire late last night

Today, a lot of Hong Kong people were really angry.

They were angered by the police's heavy handedness in dealing with the protesters holed up in Hong Kong Polytechnic University, not allowing them any way out, while firing endless rounds of tear gas and water cannons at them and threatening to use live rounds.

Meanwhile the protesters were trapped inside the campus and running out of food and drink. There is a video circulating on Twitter of two social workers who read out a message in English saying the police wouldn't let them out, that they are stuck inside Poly U, and that the protesters who are trapped inside are emotionally distraught, and some are injured but can't get medical aid.

We've received this exclusive footage from 2 social workers trapped inside HK Polytechnic Uni (19:50 HK time), under siege by police. “The police told us it was safe to leave, but when we went out they released tear gas.” The police must immediately defuse the standoff at #PolyU. pic.twitter.com/pbHIqtfBDJ

— Amnesty International (@amnesty) November 18, 2019

In the morning many Hong Kong residents didn't go to work and instead headed towards Poly U to distract the police and to offer help the protesters. However the police kept them at bay with teargas, but that didn't deter them from leaving the area.

At lunchtime as expected, office workers in Central occupied Pedder Street and Connaught Road Central, carrying umbrellas and ready to take on the tear gas with umbrellas.

Long lines waiting to catch the Star Ferry back to HK Island

And around the same time came some good news to cheer about -- the High Court ruled that the government's anti-mask law that was put into effect on October 5 was unconstitutional.

High Court judges found the mask ban introduced under emergency legislation was "incompatible with the Basic Law".

Two judges also found the measure that gave police the power to require a person to remove his or her mask at public places a disproportionate measure given its "remarkable width".

"There is practically no limit on the circumstances in which the power under that section can be exercised by a police officer," the judges wrote.

A lot of people are back to wearing masks again.

Tonight after work, so many people -- thousands -- wanted to head to Poly U to offer their support that to deter them, the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station was closed, so they took the Star Ferry instead by the droves. It's probably the best day in business the Star Ferry has ever had in a long time.

Protesters abseiling down from a bridge to motorbikes below

Despite getting over to Kowloon, and then marching a few kilometres to Poly U, the next challenge was having to fend themselves from tear gas and the threat of arrests by police. As I write this, thousands of people have descended on the area, and trying to make their way to Poly U. It's not that easy, but they are determined to make it there.

To see so many people out there trying to help, even just moral support is amazing. To see so many people willing to risk arrest to help the protesters just shows how much the respect for authority in Hong Kong has fallen by the wayside.

Meanwhile some protesters found a creative but also dangerous way to escape the campus by abseiling down from a bridge using a hose and then getting away by waiting motorbikes below. Apple Daily has reported at least 100 protesters escaped this way before the escape route was spotted by police.

And now leading politicians, including former president of the Legislative Council Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, Ip Kin-yuen, the education sector lawmaker, have gone into Poly U and promised that those under 18 would not be arrested, but that the police would note down their details.
 Some 150 students took the deal and left the campus, but other protesters warned them not to trust "outsiders".

It's hard to say... should these people be trusted? But at the same time, these kids are mentally and physically exhausted.

Meanwhile where is Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor? Earlier in the day she visited the policeman -- police liaison officer -- who was shot in the leg with an arrow. As she left the hospital she didn't take any questions from the media about what was happening at Poly U.

It seems she has left that to the police to handle while she waits in her ivory tower for the mess -- her mess -- to be cleaned up... 

Lam's Insincerity Shines Through

A pale-looking Carrie Lam personally apologizes to Hong Kong people

This afternoon was the main event -- Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was going to apologize to the Hong Kong people.

Reporters noticed her lectern had boxes of tissues ready. Would she be really sincere and cry?

At 4pm she appeared in a cream-coloured suit in front of a light blue screen. Right off the bat she apologized for her short-comings and said she had heard the voices of the people.

But then for the rest of the 51 minutes, Lam refused to withdraw the extradition bill, refused to resign, and refused to hold an independent inquiry into allegations the police were too heavy handed when they clashed with protesters and the media on June 12.

She did say the bill was shelved as long as there were "conflicts in society", so does that mean forever? Or until her term is over?

Some 2 million people took over the streets on Sunday

Lam admitted she would have a difficult three years ahead in governing Hong Kong, though protesters outside the Legislative Council were unimpressed by her speech and booed.

Many people in Hong Kong feel she has lost the mandate to lead the city, as evidenced by the 2 million people who came out to protest two days ago. She totally mishandled the campaign to have the extradition law passed, and then refused to take responsibility for the excessive force the police used.

She only clarified that the protest march last Sunday was not considered a riot, echoing Police Commissioner Stephen Lo wai-chung's position as he yesterday backed down from his original declaration that the protesters were rioters. This came after there was an outcry when police began going into hospitals and arresting rioters, and even in dormitories on university campuses.

In total 32 people were arrested since last Wednesday.

There was no admission by Lam that the police's firing of 150 rounds of tear gas (87 were fired in the 2014 Occupy protests), "several" rounds of rubber bullets, and 20 bean bag shots that can easily injure someone was too much force against protesters who didn't have much protection let alone "weapons" to confront the police.

Protesters booed while Lam spoke in the press conference

So how can Lam say she has listened to the people and pledged to do a better job for the next three years when she has not acceded to any of the protesters' demands?

This was what was most disappointing to the 2 million people who flooded into the streets on Sunday. She really didn't listen to them. By extension, Beijing didn't listen to them.

But by the same token, Lam is between a rock and a hard place.

Even if she wanted to resign, Beijing may not let her. According to a Reuters report, a senior Hong Kong official close to Lam said [if she resigned] that would "create more problems than it solves, at all sorts of levels".

Hmmm let me guess? Because there is no one else suitable to take over this thankless job, though the best part is that the chief executive is paid more than the president of the United States?

Already before the press conference, Bloomberg was speculating who would be waiting in the wings. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee is one candidate, so is former chief executive Leung Chun-ying, former CE candidate John Tsang Chun-wah, and even Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, the former Legco president.

Would you like any of these four to take over from Lam?

When Lam took questions from reporters, none of them asked her how she felt when the Chinese ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming said last week that Beijing never instructed the Hong Kong government to pass the extradition bill.

"As a matter of fact, [the] Beijing central government gave no instruction, no order about making [the] amendment. This amendment was initiated by the Hong Kong government, it was prompted by a murder case in Taiwan," he told the BBC.

Talk about throwing Lam under the bus. China really wanted to be perceived to have any connection with the extradition bill, but why would she suddenly want to ram it through?

Regardless, the public will not stand for Lam to continue leading Hong Kong, which means there are going to be more protests in the coming days and weeks.

Hope Lam's ready for more images of people on the streets. They have had enough of the insincerity and lack of integrity.

Chinese New Year Countdown

Many people checking out the New Year market in Victoria Park today

Many people in Hong Kong are anxiously preparing for Chinese New Year on Saturday. The wet market near where I live was extra busy, with people buying up all kinds of fruits, vegetables, and meats to prepare for upcoming reunion dinners this week, though officially it's on Friday.

And today was the start of the Chinese New Year markets around town, the biggest of which is in Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. I checked it out this afternoon and luckily it wasn't packed, though still lots of people.

Vibrant-coloured orchids for sale as well as other plants

I didn't have time to go through all the stalls, but the orchids were gorgeous, and this one pictured here is a kind that I've never seen before.

There were of course many rooster-related items, particularly stuffed toys, phone covers, cushions and trinkets.

And what's a Hong Kong fair without some politics, particularly in an election year?

The Democratic Party had a modified game called "fish prawn crab", a kind of gambling game, with caricatures of the four candidates -- Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, John Tsang Chun-wah, Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, and Woo Kwok-hing. Even possible candidate Jasper Tsang Yok-sing was in the mix too.

Another stall manned by the League of Social Democrats sold cushions shaped like luncheon meat tins. It was a reference to former pro-Beijing lawmaker Wong Kwok-hing's condemnation of legislative filibusters, that he once said wasted enough taxpayer dollars to buy thousands of cans of luncheon meat for the poor.

We saw some young people roaming around with a basket of stickers and it turns out they had political satire. One of them was a take on Shanghai calendar girls of the 1920s, featuring two women, and the heads were of Regina Ip and John Tsang...

I intend to go back again to check all the stalls out, and maybe pick up some flowers too!

Rita Fan Chides Chinese Envoys in Hong Kong

Rita Fan says Chinese envoys need to understand Cantonese to know HK

Finally Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, a senior Hong Kong official has explained the fact that senior Chinese officials posted in the city don't know Cantonese has contributed to rising tensions between the mainland and Hong Kong.

She said this led to mainland envoys not having a comprehensive understanding of the social sentiment here. Fan also encouraged the local government to look at why young people were turning to pro-independence and not just criticize them.

Fan is Hong Kong's sole deputy on the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and she made the comment during a live online interview with Legislative Council President Jasper Tsang Yok-sing yesterday.

She hints Chinese officials don't go out to experience the city

"You have to live in Hong Kong to know about Hong Kong, not only staying at home alone, but going out to feel the social sentiment," said Fan, who added many mainland envoys here, like those from Beijing's liaison office, only spoke Putonghua.

"You need to feel how [Hong Kong] people feel. You need to feel and understand what makes them happy and what makes them unhappy. But first of all, you need to speak Cantonese, otherwise it will be very difficult."

But at the same time she warned young people that independence from China was not the way out.

"If they succeed [in achieving Hong Kong independence], it will sentence Hong Kong to death. And of course they will also not be able to survive. But unfortunately, millions of other innocent people will also become victims.

"But we need to understand the young people and why they have such ideas. If you just criticize them and say no to this and that, they won't listen.

Why is Fan saying this 2 years after the Umbrella Movement?

"You need to express your views in such a way that they feel comfortable to listen. No one will listen to you if you use the wrong way," Fan said.

Very interesting that Fan has come out now to say these level-headed statements -- but why didn't she say them earlier -- like YEARS earlier, back when locals were angry at having mainlanders invading the city, or even just before or after the Umbrella Movement?

Or has she tried to tell senior mainland officials that they need to understand Cantonese and they didn't listen? Is this her way of trying to get their attention in a very public way?

Fan is saying what many have thought but never said publicly, and it's about time -- oh only 19 years after the handover. It's also intriguing she points out these envoys don't go out and experience what life is like in Hong Kong either.

It is obvious language and cultural issues continue to create conflict and they are not going to go away anytime soon. But what will mainland officials do about it? Are there senior government officials from Guangdong province who speak Cantonese and can be posted here?

Even then there are cultural differences between Cantonese speakers in Guangdong and in Hong Kong.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how Beijing responds to her suggestions -- if its officials are listening...

Consecutive Bombshell Announcements

John Tsang shocked everyone by coming out and saying he may run for CE

Friday got really interesting politically when two people suggested they could possibly run for the position of Hong Kong's chief executive next year.

Outgoing Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing made the announcement live on RTHK on a live show from 8am to 9am, though RTHK news already reported Tsang's intentions as early at 6.24am in the morning.

Jasper Tsang signaled interest in taking over CY Leung's job

During the interview with The Pulse, Tsang said incumbent Leung Chun-ying was expected to run for another five-year term, and despite widespread speculation that Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah and Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor would run, they had not shown any indication of challenging their boss.

"If no one else really wants to run, and if it turns out that it is both necessary and possible for me to stand as a candidate to offer a genuine choice -- at least to the election committee -- then I will consider running," Tsang, 69, said.

However, he added he was getting too old to deal with his short comings, but if he was 10 years younger, he'd definitely consider running.

Everyone was surprised, but not surprised by Tsang's comments, as many speculated he would run for CE. Perhaps the timing threw people off.

Carrie Cheng is believed to be interested in running too

But even more curious was that an hour later at 10am, in a pre-recorded interview with Commercial Radio, John Tsang announced for the first time he is "willing to take up the job as chief executive if it can help [him] to contribute to society".

When asked to elaborate on why he was previously so hesitant on answering the question of whether he would run for CE or not, Tsang said: "I did not say that... if it contributes to Hong Kong, I am wiling to do [it] because there is absolutely no doubt that I love Hong Kong.

"But you all know that it is a bad job... and it is difficult to do because all chief executives are bound to be criticized and no one would be happy. I hope society can return to rationality, that would be encouraging for capable people," he said.

So now we have two Tsangs who have possibly entered the race. Some believe Lam may throw her hat into the ring too. Perhaps tomorrow?

The Debate Begins

The police brought in lots of equipment into the Legislative Council yesterday

So it has come to this -- today is the start of the debate in the Legislative Council on the political reform package presented by the government.

If all 70 members use their allotted time of 15 minutes, the vote could happen on Friday.

This morning tensions were high. It was reported 200 police officers were stationed inside Legco in case any radicals planned to storm the building. Legco President Jasper Tsang Yok-sing allowed them in, after the police suggested heightened security would ensure people's safety.

Today pan-democrats presented "no" ballot boxes at Legco

Civic Party lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki said the presence of police in the building damaged the council's independence, while Civic Party leader Alan Leong said the security checks made him feel like he was boarding a flight.

Meanwhile there are hundreds of people of various stripes camped outside Legco telling lawmakers to either support or vote down the package.

All we can do is wait to see what happens...

Trying to Clear the Air

Perhaps Jasper Tsang is finally talking some sense following CY Leung?

Is Jasper Tsang Yok-sing the next to go after James Tien Pei-chun?

The Legislative Council President and pro-establishment lawmaker says there aren't any "foreign forces" influencing the Umbrella Movement. "I can't see it happening," he said in an interview with Cable TV.

"Unless you treat foreign diplomats expressing concerns as an intervention by external forces. I think their concerns, raised objectively, were not intended to influence, dominate or instigate any side," he said.

Earlier this month Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying claimed "external forces" influenced the mass protests and occupation of streets in Hong Kong, but he refused to identify them, only saying he would reveal them later.

One newspaper cartoonist drew the suggestion it was Mary Poppins.

Others said it was Jesus, Che Guevara and Bob Marley, with photographic evidence of their images at the protest sites.

So will Tsang be punished for his comments, claiming there are no external forces involved in the Umbrella Movement because he's not following the same narrative as Leung?

The drama continues.