Pressure has been growing for Hong Kong authorities to do more to help the hundreds of residents stranded by the political turmoil that has shut down Bangkok's two airports. For any government, protecting the lives and property of its citizens, no matter where in the world they may be, is a core interest.
Stranded Hong Kong travellers have become increasingly frustrated because other places, including the mainland and Macau, have put on chartered flights to bring their people home. In response, emergency charter flights were arranged last night to pick up hundreds of residents in an abrupt U-turn by the government. The decision came after news that HK resident David Yick Hok-wing died and his wife, Fung Man-wai, was injured in a road accident early yesterday morning as they rushed to catch a flight back to Hong Kong. Critics said the bad arrangements had confused stranded residents. There were complaints that some special flights arranged by airlines previously had been largely unoccupied because many passengers - without access to updated information - could not reach them in time.
The government came under heavy criticism from lawmakers. Lawmakers challenged the administration's response to complaints received from stranded residents over the past week, and cast doubts over its decision not to send a charter flight on Sunday.
http://www.scmp.com
Blogger's note: At this point, Hong Kong government has got a lot to learn from Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada. As Stephen Harper had spent taxpayers' CAD $82,727 to charter a jet returning Brenda Martin to Canada this May, from Brenda's lengthy Mexican imprisonment and fraud conviction.
http://deepestriversflowwiththeleastnoise.blogspot.com/2008/04/guilty-or-not-fair-trial-is-needed.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenda_Martin
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