ENTER THE DRAGON
Hidden in stadium, Chinese army on Hong Kong border
IMAGES of army vehicles hidden inside a sports stadium on the Hong Kong border have raised fears that China is about to intervene in the unrest engulfing the former British colony.
Satellite pictures appeared to show more than 100 armoured personnel carriers at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre as prodemocracy protests continued across the city.
A video also emerged on Twitter yesterday apparently confirming the presence of military vehicles in the stadium. The satellite images, reportedly taken on Monday, were credited to Maxar Technologies, a space technology firm in the US.
They emerged after a video of troop movements in the same area was retweeted by Donald Trump on Tuesday night.
The US President appealed for calm after clashes at Hong Kong’s airport led to the cancellation of more than 100 flights on Tuesday and about 200 on Monday.
Beijing accused the Hong Kong protesters of being ‘terrorists’ and the prospect of military action against civilians has many recalling the suppression of demonstrators in Tiananmen Square in 1989 when hundreds were killed.
It emerged yesterday that China had also denied requests for two US Navy ships to visit Hong Kong.
Dixon Sing Ming, a political science professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said the move to assemble vehicles near the border was a ‘psychological warfare tactic’.
He added: ‘The drill is part and parcel of a well co-ordinated attempt by Beijing to pressure the protesters and the general public to give up their demands, including the one for universal suffrage immediately.’
Flights from Hong Kong resumed yesterday after the airport obtained a court injunction to
‘A psychological warfare tactic’
clear out the thousands who had gathered since the weekend.
The three dozen or so protesters who remained in an authorised area apologised to passengers for disruption caused by the airport occupation in the past five days.
They said in a statement: ‘It is not our intention to cause delays to your travels and we do not want to cause inconvenience to you.
‘We ask for your understanding and forgiveness as young people in Hong Kong continue to fight for freedom and democracy.’ New demonstrations outside a police station after nightfall were dispersed by officers firing tear gas.
Hong Kong residents have railed against what they see as an erosion of the freedoms they were promised in 1997 when mainland China took over from Britain. During the airport protests black-clad activists, many in masks, detained three people they suspected of being undercover police agents.
One man was tied to a luggage trolley by demonstrators and struck in the face. Accused of being a ‘spy’, he was actually a journalist from the Chinese staterun Global Times. His treatment led to increased calls in Beijing for China to intervene.
More than 700 protesters have been arrested since early June. At least 21 countries and regions have issued travel safety alerts for citizens travelling to Hong Kong.
A new Tiananmen? – Page 14