Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said in an interview on Oct. 3 with an online news site that “Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu (陳菊) is a sinner against democracy: She thinks that just because she was imprisoned in the first half of her life she can get away with doing whatever she wants, however wrong, in the latter half of her life.”

Ko had also said before — to inflate the influence of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), the party he launched to boost his own reputation — that the officials surrounding President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) are all corrupt.

The introduction of emergency powers in Hong Kong show that embattled Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) has listened to at least one of the protesters’ cries: jia you (come on, 加油).

Not only does the new law banning face masks at public gatherings curtail Hong Kongers’ precious right to protest, but the move looks likely to douse an already fiery situation with generous lashings of gasoline.