Hong Kong’s economy is in a dire state. The democratic structure has withered away. People are now under complete control of the CCP, pro-democratic lawmakers and activists have been arrested and convicted. Carrie Lam Hong Kong’s leader, is facing “a little bit of inconvenience” as she cannot use her credit cards.
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s pro-democratic leader has said that she keeps “piles of cash” at home because she has no bank account. In an interview with a local English TV channel, HKIBC Lam said she was “using cash for all the things” after being sanctioned.
After the CCP enforced a crackdown on free speech and political freedoms carried out by Lam, the United States imposed sanctions, freezing her bank accounts and barring her entry into the US. As if she has no regrets whatsoever in bringing down the people and the democratic structure of Hong Kong, she said that it’s an honour to be so unjustifiably be sanctioned by the US government.
Her remarks sparked a public backlash on social media. Hong Kong citizens already reeling under the economic downfall compounded by the pandemic started posting pictures of coins in their piggy banks at home to contrast with Lam’s wealth.
With a salary of HK$5.21m (US$672,000) a year, Lam is one of the highest-paid leaders in the world and is paid by the CCP in cash to subvert the US sanctions.
Hong Kong was considered to be the global financial hub of the world, but ever since the National Security law was imposed by the CCP, its economy has been on a downward slope. Carrie Lam, the enabler in chief, helped the CCP to suppress the pro-democratic protests and activists in Hong Kong. She also played a key role in pulling down Hong Kong’s economy to please her CCP backers in Beijing.
She is one of the main perpetrators ensuring Hong Kong’s fall and also one of the key players in empowering Shenzhen’s rise. The people of Hong Kong were rightly concerned as another economy similar to Hong Kong’s will undermine Hong Long’s status in Beijing. Lam made sure that it happened.
Since the beginning of her rule in Hong Kong, Carrie Lam has spent no time in-toeing Beijing’s line. She has left no stone unturned, from arresting pro-democracy leaders, Martin Lee, media tycoon Jimmy Lai, and veteran lawyer Margaret Ng to now facilitating the “dismantling of Hong Kong’s economy”.
Lam’s statements are aligned to her actions were being the ubiquitous leader of Hong Kong, she has no love for the people she rules over with an Iron fist. Sanctions on carrying Lam were only the third time that Washington declared direct sanctions on the leader of a country or a region, and she now is in the infamous company of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, and Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.