My Take | Now we want the PLA’s help: what hypocrisy!

As dozens of Hong Kong travellers were flown back from the coronavirus-infected cruise ship Diamond Princess that was docked in Japan, opposition politicians have been busy mobilising the public against practically every proposed quarantine site.

However, some have been helpful in suggesting using barracks for the People’s Liberation Army for the purpose. Such advocates include Jasper Law Ting-tak, a radical localist and chairman of the North District Council; Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit, head of the Civil Human Rights Front that organised mass rallies during the violent anti-government protests since June; and Wu Chi-wai, chairman of the Democratic Party.

In principle, I don’t disagree with their proposal, provided the barracks can be safely converted into proper medical facilities to protect both soldiers and civilians. Unfortunately, I am absolutely sure that either those in the opposition have no idea what they are talking about, or perhaps they just like the idea because the disease could be spread to PLA troops.

Consider what using the barracks for quarantine would entail legally and constitutionally. The government will have to appeal to the Garrison Law as well as Article 14 under the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution: “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may, when necessary, ask the Central People’s Government for assistance from the garrison in the maintenance of public order and in disaster relief.”

 The opposition, not without reason, has always been dead set against the government invoking this article as much as they object to legislating anti-subversion, sedition and secession laws under Article 23. The Hong Kong government did not dare to consider asking the PLA for help, even at the height of the violent protests last year, for fear of reviving memories of the June 4 crackdown in 1989.