On Mon this week (17 Jun), former Singapore Ambassador-at-Large Bilahari Kausikan commented on his Facebook page with regard to the recent mass protests in Hong Kong over its proposed extradition law.
The proposed law which would allow Hong Kong to extradite people wanted in China infuriated large number of Hong Kong people. Many fear that people in Hong Kong may be arbitrarily extradited to China for political reasons and they do not have much faith in the rule of law there.
Bilahari, who is a Singaporean and a former diplomat with Singapore’s MFA, said that the Hong Kong people have lost their sense and suggested that Chinese President Xi must come down hard on Hong Kong people if the protests continue.
“These HK people have lost all sense of reality,” he said. “At some point Xi must act if this continues.”
“I am sure he would prefer to deal with HK after relations with the US stabilise and that is not going to happen anytime soon. The HK people are probably banking on just that,” he added.
“But what they want — which is essentially to separate HK from PRC domestic law in perpetuity — is impossible.”
He concluded, “If Xi’s hand is forced, it will not be pretty.”
Netizens not impressed with Bilahari’s call for President Xi to act
Online, netizens were not impressed with Bilahari’s call for President Xi to “act”, presumably to come down hard on the Hong Kong protesters.
Note that under the Hong Kong basic law, China People’s Liberation Army can and does station troops in Hong Kong.
Some of the comments on Hardware Zone include:
“He’d better don’t go hk”
“Lol this guy is really a joke”
“Who is he ah?”
“He wanted the chinese govt to do another tian an men.”
“This idiot should keep his dirty mouth shut.”
“How much was he paid for that post?”
“Bill Khawsai is asking HK to just die. With no conscious, it is easy to prata. Earlier he was hooting XI and sprouting certain China influence in Sin, think after tio hoot by LHL, he changed tune, every now Beijing is good.”
And social media commentator, The Alternative View, said, “So what is Bilahari Kausikan suggesting that Xi do? Send in tanks across Shenzhen to crush the protestors like what his predecessors did 30 years ago in Tiananmen?”
“In fact, who is Bilahari Kausikan to even call for Xi to act?” it asked.
In any case, the online comment from our former Singapore Ambassador-at-Large would surely please China but incur the wrath of Hong Kong people.
