So what exactly is Carrie Lam's strategy? First she seem to go for the "disappearing" routine. Hoping to ride out the political storm by hunkering down and let it blow over.
But as we saw last weekend, that does not seem to be working. Protesters are only getting more angry at the government's stone-walling. Now she is contemplating declaring emergency? Yeah that would only further drag Hong Kong through the mud. How on earth can that help HK? If anything, that would only confirm in Washington's mind that HK is losing its autonomy and open the doors to terminating
HK's special status. That would be a huge blow.
Is she panicking over the mushrooming protests with no idea what to do? Waiting for further instructions from Beijing?
Well the answer out of this political mess (of Lam's own making) is there, it is simply that Lam is refusing to consider it, perhaps out of sheer stubbornness and arrogance or fears of further "losing face". The answer is to re-start political reforms. Make the government more responsive to citizen needs. Stop favouring vested interest all the time. But of course, Lam cannot stand any of that. It's her way or the highway.