Missing bookseller ‘turns himself in to police’; Umbrella activists call for closer ties between HK and Taiwan.
Photo: Chris Lusher
Gov’t & LegCo
Jasper Tsang expects CE contenders to surface only after LegCo elections
– LegCo president Jasper Tsang expected potential contenders of the CE post to express their interest only after the LegCo elections in September to avoid affecting government operations
– Tsang, who will step down as legislator in September, will seek to influence the CE election’s result by tabling policy proposals for candidates to consider
General Politics
Beijing’s mouthpieces release missing bookseller’s ‘confession’ over drink-driving death
– CCTV aired an interview with Gui Minhai, a Chinese-born Swedish national and one of the five missing booksellers who disappeared in Thailand, in which he claimed he turned himself in after fleeing from a suspended two-year jail term for killing a university student while drink-driving in Ningbo
– Gui also asked the Swedish authorities to stay away from the matter
– Xinhua also released the report at about the same time
– The reports, however, did not explain why Gui would suddenly turn himself in when in Thailand, and the CCTV’s description of the drink-driving person’s age was also different from Gui’s own age
Bomb scare at BP International hotel as anti-communist organisation holds conference
– About 1,600 people were evacuated after LPG canisters attached to two timers were found in men’s toilet at BP International hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui
– The police later reported that the device was not a bomb and would not cause an explosion
– About 1,000 local and mainland members of Falun Gong were said to be holding an annual conference at the hotel when the device was found
Umbrella activists calls on DPP administration to formulate separate policies for Hong Kong
– Student leaders of Scholarism and the Hong Kong Federation of Students called on the new Democratic Progressive Party government to treat Hong Kong as a separate entity from the mainland when formulating policies
– Speaking at a press conference in Taipei, Joshua Wong of Scholarism said one possible option for cooperation was to invite leaders of the Sunflower Movement who were previously denied entry to visit the city
– Former head of HKFS Alex Chow called for more dialogue between Hong Kong and Taiwan
