Time and again, there have been speculations in recent weeks about the situation in Hong Kong, where Chinese soldiers could be deployed to quell the protests.
Prime Minister Carrie Lam is now fueling speculation: "If the situation gets so bad, no option can be ruled out," Lam said at a press conference on a journalist's question as to where she would ask the Chinese government for help.
Since the return of the British Crown Colony to China in 1997, more than 10,000 People from the People's Liberation Army have been stationed in Hong Kong. According to unconfirmed reports, the troop strength in the face of protests under the pretext of a rotation to be secretly increased. Also special forces should have been stationed at the border.
Under current law, Hong Kong's government may ask Beijing's central government for military help if it can not cope with the protests. The seven million Hong Kong residents are under China's sovereignty, but enjoy more rights such as freedom of expression and assembly than people in the Communist People's Republic.
Tension exacerbated by disguise prohibition
At the press conference, however, Lam repeatedly made it clear that she still believed that Hong Kong's government could handle the situation on its own. "At this point, I still have the strong feeling that we will find the solutions ourselves," Lam said. This is also the position of the Chinese central government.
The surprise imposition of a disguise ban in a resort to colonial emergency law on Friday had exacerbated tensions in the Chinese Special Administrative Region on the weekend and on Monday. After the announcement, there were some violent protests in the city. Radical democracy activists devastated subway stations as well as prochinese businesses and set fire to barricades.
Two demonstrators were charged with wearing masks and violating the right of assembly. They face up to three years imprisonment. In protest, supporters of the defendants appeared Monday with face masks in court.
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