Behind bars
Lee made a career in the police force and later headed the Hong Kong Ministry of Public Security. In recent years, he was the second man on the Hong Kong board, behind Carrie Lam.
During his career, especially around the pro-democracy protests of 2019, he was in close contact with the Chinese authorities. Under his leadership, protesters and journalists were put behind bars and political opponents were eliminated. A certificate of ability, in the eyes of Beijing: he is seen as reliable and loyal to the communist party.
‘Lessons from Xinjiang’
After visiting Xinjiang several years ago, the region where China sent more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities to re-education camps, Lee said the region offered lessons for Hong Kong. “Xinjiang is the place where several terrorist attacks took place. The situation has improved greatly in recent years. The experiences there are an example for Hong Kong.”
The first lessons of this already seem to be being put into practice. So far, at least 250 Hong Kong protesters have received ‘deradicalisation therapy’, local authorities recently said.
“A lot of people worry because of his policing background that he will tighten the thumbscrews in Hong Kong,” Sin said of the only remaining candidate. “But I don’t think so,” he continues, as his campaign staff roll out their whiteboards and the temporary campaign office is vacated.
“Obviously, now that I’m out of the running, there’s only one candidate left,” he says of the election, where the 1461 electoral committee members determine the future of the 7.5 million people. A fake election? “I don’t agree with you,” Sin says. “No election method is perfect, but it is about getting the right person elected for the people.”
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