Regarding the situation in Hong Kong, it looks like the HKSAR government is becoming sidelined as the Hong Kong Police Force runs the show. The HKMAO comments were revealing: Carrie Lam gets support, but there were deficiencies in how her government handled the extradition bill. Antony Dapiran pointed out in The Guardian how unusually it is for a Chinese leader to be portrayed as imperfect in such official statements. Meanwhile, the HKPF gets full Party backing.
In Hong Kong itself, SCMP reported that voices in the government want an independent inquiry, but that this will not happen because of fierce police opposition. The same power is visible in the often aggressive responses from officers to Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung’s apology for Yuen Long. The government is now held hostage by its police force as it becomes increasingly invisible. The Hongkonger’s interaction with his government is now mainly through the violent cops in the street as even civil servants turn against it.
So, while the HKSAR government is unable to bring the police under civilian control, the police itself grows increasingly violent and repressive, with explicit CCP backing, which in turn is helped by the ever-important Triads. One Country Two Systems is moot when the Centre can simply circumvent the local government and directly steer both holders of the monopoly on violence, namely law enforcement and PLA. The Party seems to be taking charge of policing and Carrie Lam now lives by their grace.
Regarding the situation in Hong Kong, it looks like the HKSAR government is becoming sidelined as the Hong Kong Police Force runs the show. The HKMAO comments were revealing: Carrie Lam gets support, but there were deficiencies in how her government handled the extradition bill. Antony Dapiran pointed out in The Guardian how unusually it is for a Chinese leader to be portrayed as imperfect in such official statements. Meanwhile, the HKPF gets full Party backing.
In Hong Kong itself, SCMP reported that voices in the government want an independent inquiry, but that this will not happen because of fierce police opposition. The same power is visible in the often aggressive responses from officers to Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung’s apology for Yuen Long. The government is now held hostage by its police force as it becomes increasingly invisible. The Hongkonger’s interaction with his government is now mainly through the violent cops in the street as even civil servants turn against it.
So, while the HKSAR government is unable to bring the police under civilian control, the police itself grows increasingly violent and repressive, with explicit CCP backing, which in turn is helped by the ever-important Triads. One Country Two Systems is moot when the Centre can simply circumvent the local government and directly steer both holders of the monopoly on violence, namely law enforcement and PLA. The Party seems to be taking charge of policing and Carrie Lam now lives by their grace.