My Take | Carrie Lam must draw her red line and stick to it
- City leader has to make it clear that she will not tolerate any loss of life from escalating violence and will declare a state of emergency if need be
Every major city and country has the power to declare a state of emergency.
Hong Kong is no exception. Strangely, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is only mentioning it now after almost three months of unending unrest.
The world has been speculating wildly whether Beijing would send in the People’s Liberation Army or the People’s Armed Police. You might think Lam should have come up with the emergency powers earlier to help kill speculation – a favourite topic of the world press – about risking another Tiananmen Square.
One likely explanation is that Lam repeatedly tried to quit and washed her hands of the mess she helped create, but Beijing wouldn’t let her off the hook. Now that she is stuck, she has to start thinking seriously about the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, not used since the 1967 riots.
It’s not entirely her fault, though. For a period of time, Beijing probably thought it might have to send in PLA or PAP troops. It has used the option as a threat to Hong Kong rioters and made a point staging a show of force in Shenzhen.