Ip in security minister's shoes (Hong Kong Standard re Snowden)
But former security secretary-turned lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee was even weirder. As if she was still the minister, Ip reminded her Legco peers they weren't supposed to ask for sensitive information.
She also said Snowden basically has three options - seeking a court protection order, political asylum, or judicial review.
It wasn't the first time Ip commented on the case, but she keeps changing her tune. In the beginning, she suggested the whistle-blower should leave Hong Kong. But now she's saying she knows of cases where asylum-seekers remained in the SAR eight years after making their initial claims.
If that timeframe is a valid reference, Ip seemed to be telling Snowden he could be here at least until 2021.
Snowden has become a pawn in the chess game being played by Beijing and Washington. But it's clear China is getting more aggressive by the day.
Yesterday, state media Global Times carried a third commentary, explicitly urging the SAR to take into consideration public opinion that is supportive of Snowden.
It went further to suggest the Hong Kong administration should cast aside concerns over Sino-US ties and consider harboring a man even if he's labelled a traitor by his own government.
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=17&art_id=134784&sid=39840738&con_type=1&d_str=20130620&fc=8
