Hong Kong pro-independence lawmakers blocked from taking oath

Hong Kong / AFP

Hong Kong’s legislature again descended into chaos on Wednesday as pro-Beijing politicians blocked the swearing in of two new lawmakers who want a split from China, in an increasingly divided parliament. It comes as fears grow in the semi-autonomous city that Beijing is tightening its grip, fuelling an independence movement in
Hong Kong.
Wednesday saw rival lawmakers clash in a heated shouting match after the pro-Beijing camp walked out of the swearing-in session.
The walkout led to the meeting being cancelled, preventing pro-independence lawmakers Yau Wai-ching and Baggio Leung from taking the oath that would allow them to take up their seats.
In the ensuing confrontations one veteran pro-democracy legislator threw slices of luncheon meat at his opponents while another was surrounded by security after turning China and Hong Kong flags displayed on pro-Beijing lawmakers’ desks upside-down.
Meanwhile, pro-Beijing lawmakers chanted “Apologise!”, demanding Yau and Baggio say sorry for their failure to take the oath properly at last week’s swearing-in ceremony.
The pair had their oaths rejected last Wednesday after they draped themselves in “Hong Kong is not China” flags.
The oath states Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China.
Both refused to pronounce China properly, and Yau was heard to replace the words “the People’s Republic of China” with “the People’s refucking of Zeena”. They were given permission to retake their oaths on Wednesday, but the session was abandoned after the pro-Beijing walkout left an insufficient number of legislators in the chamber.
“If they want people to respect their oaths, they have to express regret over their behaviour last week and to apologise to all Chinese around the world,” pro-Beijing lawmaker Priscilla Leung told reporters.
Hundreds of pro-Beijing supporters waved Chinese flags and stamped on pictures of Baggio and Yau outside the legislative council building.
Baggio and Yau said they wanted to complete their oaths, but would not apologise for last week’s behaviour.
“We are empowered by the people to enter the Legco,” Baggio said.

Court challenge
The former British colony was handed back to China in 1997 under an agreement protecting its freedoms for 50 years, but there are concerns those liberties are being eroded. Baggio and Yau are part of a new wave of lawmakers advocating independence and self-determination who won seats in the Legislative Council (Legco)— Hong Kong’s lawmaking body—in citywide polls last month.
Five legislators, including the pair, had their oaths rejected at last week’s swearing in.
Of those five, one pro-Beijing lawmaker and one pro-democracy lawmaker, whose oaths were declared invalid the first time round, were allowed to retake them on Wednesday morning. The Beijing camp then walked out, forcing the session to be abandoned before Yau, Baggio and pro-democracy teacher Lau Siu-lai, who read her oath at a snail’s pace last week, took the stand.
The chaotic scenes came after a late-night court bid Tuesday by city leader Leung Chun-ying and justice secretary Rimsky Yuen to block Yau and Baggio from taking up their seats. That went directly against a decision by the president of the Legco, pro-Beijing lawmaker Andrew Leung, who had already given the green light for them to have a second chance at the oath.