Rebel lawmakers in court over oath battle

pulse

November 3, 2016 8:20 AM

"If you do not believe Hong Kong is an inalienable part of China then you have no business in Legco," Yu added.

A judicial review seeking to disqualify Yau Wai-ching (L) and Baggio Leung from the legislature kicked off at Hong Kong's High Court on October 26, 2016

Two Hong Kong lawmakers who advocate a split from China should be banned from taking up their seats, government lawyers argued in court Thursday, as concerns grow Beijing will wade into the escalating row.

Widespread fears that China is tightening its grip on the semi-autonomous city are fuelling an independence movement in Hong Kong.

As a judicial review seeking to disqualify Yau Wai-ching and Baggio Leung from the legislature kicked off at Hong Kong's High Court Thursday, the government's counsel insisted authorities had not asked Beijing to step n.

"The issues... should be solved in the judicial system," said lawyer Benjamin Yu.

The city's leader Leung Chun-ying, who brought the case against the pair, said earlier this week he could not rule out the possibility that Beijing might get involved.

Local media reports say China's top legislative body, the National People's Congress Standing Committee, could issue an "interpretation" of Hong Kong's constitution on Monday relating to the case.

But Yu said the Hong Kong government had not received any confirmation of that happening.

He argued that Baggio and Yau should not be allowed to take up their seats in the Legislative Council (Legco) -- the city's lawmaking body -- because they failed to swear allegiance to Hong Kong as an "inalienable part of China" at an oath-taking ceremony three weeks ago.

Instead, they draped themselves in "Hong Kong is not China" flags and altered the wording of their oaths, including derogatory terms and expletives.

"Our case is that Leung and Yau have been duly requested to take the Legco oath on October 12 this year and they have declined," Yu told the court.

Yau and Baggio won seats in citywide polls last month, in which a number of new lawmakers advocating self-determination or independence swept to victory.

Legco president Andrew Leung initially agreed to give them a second chance at taking their oath.

But that decision is being challenged in court by city leader Leung and the justice secretary Rimsky Yuen, a move which critics say shows the executive branch riding roughshod over the legislature.

The Legco president, a pro-Beijing lawmaker, is a defendant in the case, alongside Baggio and Yau.

His lawyer argued Thursday that he had been "unnecessarily and wrongly" brought into the proceedings.

"The president's decision was made under his powers and under the rules or procedures," said Jat Sew-tong, arguing that bringing him to court was the wrong move at a politically sensitive time.

The Legco descended into chaos for the third consecutive week Wednesday after Yau and Baggio tried to force their way into the chamber to take their oaths, having been temporarily barred pending the judicial review.

Six security staff were injured during clashes.

The judicial review case continues Thursday afternoon.

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