Former British ambassador to Myanmar Andrew Heyn will assume his new role as Consul General to Hong Kong. Expect some strong words on Hong Kong from this strong man.
Photo credit: https://www.gov.uk
The British Government has appointed Andrew Heyn as the new Consul General to Hong Kong and Macao.
Mr Heyn joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 1989 and served in Venezuela, Portugal, Ireland and Myanmar. During his mission to Rangoon as ambassador between 2009 and 2013, he wrote a series of articles for The Guardian, reporting on the symbolic but widely criticised 2010 general election. The election came just few days before the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in discussion with: (Clockwise from left) Andrew Heyn, James Gaggero, Lord Michael Williams and Dr Robin Niblett (Photo credit: Chatham House via www.flickr.com)
“[…] But there was certainly a wealth of anecdotal evidence of irregularities before election day, particularly concerning advanced votes that were cast by, inter alia, military and government personnel, under orders from their bosses. Some will conclude from this that most of the ‘necessary measures’ were taken before the election to ensure the ‘right result’,” Mr Heyn noted in one of his articles. Rare from a top-level diplomat, and definitely an unwelcomed ‘observation’ in the eyes of authoritarian governments.
afharbourtimes
Alex Fok is a Harbour Times journalist monitoring Hong Kong’s daily political scene and diplomatic updates. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Economics, Politics and International Studies from University of Warwick and his master’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is a former committee member of the Warwick-based Hong Kong Public Affairs and Social Service Society (WHKPASS) and was the chief editor of the society’s magazine – PASSTIMES.
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