Hong Kong's failure in Thailand
When months of anti-government protests in Bangkok finally resulted in the closure of the Thai capital's airport, stranding hundreds of thousands of international travellers, the Hong Kong government seemed very slow to react.
The central government, on the other hand, reacted promptly. Mainland travellers who found themselves stuck in Asia's 'vacation paradise' were ferried home by special flights and greeted by banners welcoming them when they arrived.
I think it's no wonder the Legislative Council's Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong came in for sharp criticism over Hong Kong's slow response to the crisis in Thailand.
In my opinion, the government needs to reorganise and appoint a more responsible decision-maker who can deal with emergencies. We cannot always be running like children to Beijing every time we have a problem.
Ivan Chan
From the Editor
Thanks for the letter, Ivan. I think a lot of people were disappointed by the response of the Hong Kong government during this time. It is certainly a concern for the residents of this city.
Hong Kong does have a very good plan for rescuing its citizens when they need it. The question which is being asked here is why that plan was not adopted.
It could be that the government decided Hong Kong citizens were not in any danger.
Nevertheless, the government has apologised. Hopefully any holes in the security plan will be fixed and Hongkongers can be assured their government will be there when they need it most.
Susan, Editor
