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Former Hong Kong top cop Andy Tsang misses out on plum UN posting
- Decision in Tsang’s favour would be ‘diplomatically unsafe’ according to source
- Tsang has risen quickly in mainland China postings following his role in ending 2014 ‘umbrella movement’ protests
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Former Hong Kong police chief Andy Tsang Wai-hung has lost his bid to lead the United Nations Vienna office, the organisation’s third-largest headquarters.
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Tsang lost to Egypt’s minister of social solidarity Ghada Fathi Waly, who will also be heading the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), according to Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Despite China’s backing, Tsang fell out of favour as the UN considered the appointment of a veteran member of the Hong Kong police a “diplomatically unsafe” decision, according to a diplomatic source with knowledge of the selection process.
“The timing could not be more wrong, after the last five or six months of unprecedented chaos in Hong Kong, much of which directly or indirectly related to police conduct,” the source said, referring to the ongoing anti-government protests.
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The UN also took into account the controversy surrounding the June selection of Qu Dongyu to lead the UN food and agriculture organisation, the source said, when the Chinese delegation faced accusations of pressuring African countries to vote in its favour. The accusations were denied.
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