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On Monday, a Hong Kong cabinet minister resigned after attending a birthday celebration with dozens of officials and politicians, just days after the city’s government urged residents to avoid large gatherings in order to combat a coronavirus outbreak.
Caspar Tsui, the Minister of Home Affairs, issued a statement saying, “I have today tendered my resignation to the Chief Executive and expect to depart the post today.”
“I have not set the best example during the recent outbreak as one of the Principal Officials leading the anti-epidemic campaign,” he continued.
Tsui’s departure is a setback for Chief Executive Carrie Lam, whose tenure has been defined by massive pro-democracy demonstrations and a subsequent crackdown on dissent that has reshaped Hong Kong.
The birthday celebration for Witman Hung, a member of China’s top legislative body, on January 3 at a tapas restaurant became a source of embarrassment for Lam, whose government follows Beijing’s stringent “zero-Covid” policy.
Following the discovery of an infected person at the party, health officials released the guest list.
Over a dozen prominent officials, including the city’s police, immigration, and anti-corruption leaders, as well as 20 legislators, were among the more than 200 persons in attendance.
While the party was not unlawful at the time due to Hong Kong’s strong social distance laws, the city’s health commissioner had cautioned residents three days prior to stay away from large groups.
Lam claimed the officials failed to set an example and demanded an investigation.
Tsui, 45, was a rising political star trained by the DAB, Hong Kong’s main pro-Beijing party, which has flourished under Beijing’s new “patriots only” political system, which has criminalised much of the historic pro-democracy opposition.
Hong Kong has kept the coronavirus at bay by enforcing some of the strongest Covid measures in the world, including lengthy mandatory quarantines for all newcomers, prohibitions on public gatherings, and forced mask wearing in public save when eating.
Attendees were seen singing karaoke and posing for group photos without masks in photos leaked to the local media from the party.
Multiple new clusters of the Omicron and Delta coronavirus types have been found since the tapas party, prompting the reimposition of stricter restrictions, such as the closing of gyms and bars and the requirement that restaurants only provide takeout in the evenings.
Hong Kongers do not elect their leaders, which has sparked years of pro-democracy protests, and cabinet members rarely quit.
Lam famously stated during her bid for the presidency that if she lost popular support, she would resign. Her administration’s approval ratings have been persistently low, falling as low as 18 percent amid 2019 democratic protests.
In late March, a tiny group of Beijing loyalists will choose a new chief executive.
Lam has not said whether she will run for re-election, and Beijing has yet to endorse its chosen candidate.
