No PLA Deployment Needed Now: Tam Yiu-chung

National People’s Congress Standing Committee member, Tam Yiu-chung, says he doesn’t think the situation in Hong Kong now is serious enough to require intervention by the People’s Liberation Army.

Speaking in Beijing, Tam said on Wednesday that he believes the SAR government and the police are able to handle the ongoing anti-extradition protests, and he doesn’t wish to see the PLA's Hong Kong garrison being deployed.

He said after he arrived at Beijing on Tuesday, some friends who cared very much about what is happening in Hong Kong told him the events in the SAR demonstrated the superiority of the mainland system.

It not only made them love the country even more, but care more about the national flag and the national emblem, said the NPC delegate.

Tam said he noted that no clashes happened after the mass rally on Sunday that had an estimated turnout of 1.7 million people. But he added that he can't be sure that violent protests have ended because there are still calls online for different kinds of protest action.

He called on young people “who had taken part in violent acts” to now stop, and think about how their “so-called noble cause” was affecting themselves and society.

As for rumours that Beijing plans to “settle” what’s happening in Hong Kong before National Day on 1 October, Tam said he never heard of such a deadline.