STUART.LAU@SCMP.COM
UPDATED : Sunday, 03 April, 2016, 1:32am
Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai called on the government to “reflect upon itself” over the rise of localism. Photo: Edward Wong
In a threatening note to radicals calling for Hong Kong independence, a pro-Beijing heavyweight warned that further chaos would set the stage for Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to keep his job for another five years.
Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, a member of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee and former Legislative Council president, also called on the government to “reflect upon itself” over the rise of localism that culminated in the formation of the pro-independence Hong Kong National Party last week.
“If you scold them for being wrong in a very strong stance, you’d only propel some who had not wanted to go this path – like youngsters – to become radicalised and follow the path,” she told Cable TV News. “For the sake of Hong Kong, the government really needs to reflect upon itself.”
Chaos such as the Mong Kok riot, calls for independence and time-wasting by pan-democrat lawmakers would heighten the chance of Leung’s re-election, Fan said.
“I won’t shy away from saying this: the so-called democrats are turning Hong Kong into such a mess. [They] would only increase the chance of the incumbent chief executive’s re-election.”
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1933100/chaos-points-five-more-years-cy-says-rita-fan
