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Talk independence, more democracy at oath ceremony
Challenging china in parliament: Pro-democracy lawmakers tear apart ballots as they boycott the process of electing council chairman in the Hong Kong Legislative Council.
Newly elected lawmaker Yau Wai-ching displays a banner before taking oath at the Legislative Council
Hong Kong, October 12
Hong Kong rebel lawmakers swore, shouted, banged drums and railed against “tyranny” today when they took their oaths of office in the city’s parliament, as calls grow for a split from Beijing.
The chaotic first meeting of the new term of the Legislative Council (Legco) came after a citywide vote last month saw victories for several lawmakers advocating more autonomy or even independence for Hong Kong.
Lawmakers are required to recite a short oath in Legco before they can officially take up their seats. That oath declares repeatedly that Hong Kong is a “special administrative region” of China. The government had warned lawmakers in advance they risked losing their seats if they did not take the oath properly.
Nathan Law, 23, Legco’s youngest lawmaker and a former pro-democracy protest leader, delivered an impassioned speech ahead of taking the oath. “You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body - but you can never imprison my mind,” he said, quoting India’s independence leader Mahatma Gandhi.
Each time he referred to China in the oath, he changed the tone to turn it into a question.
Two new pro-independence lawmakers, Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching, added their own words before the oath, pledging to serve the “Hong Kong nation”. Both displayed flags emblazoned with the words: “Hong Kong is not China”.
Leung took the full oath in English but refused to pronounce “China” correctly, instead calling it “Cheena”.
Yau also appeared to utter a profanity while reading “People’s Republic of China” in English during the ceremony, but she later denied it.
New lawmaker Eddie Chu, who advocates a public referendum on Hong Kong’s future sovereignty, shouted “Democratic self- determination! Tyranny will perish!” after taking his oath. Teacher Lau Siu-lai, also a former Umbrella Movement activist, read every word of the oath at a snail’s pace, prompting some pro-Beijing lawmakers to walk out. — AFP
New generation and special status
Challenging china in parliament: Pro-democracy lawmakers tear apart ballots as they boycott the process of electing council chairman in the Hong Kong Legislative Council.
Newly elected lawmaker Yau Wai-ching displays a banner before taking oath at the Legislative Council
Hong Kong, October 12
Hong Kong rebel lawmakers swore, shouted, banged drums and railed against “tyranny” today when they took their oaths of office in the city’s parliament, as calls grow for a split from Beijing.
The chaotic first meeting of the new term of the Legislative Council (Legco) came after a citywide vote last month saw victories for several lawmakers advocating more autonomy or even independence for Hong Kong.
Lawmakers are required to recite a short oath in Legco before they can officially take up their seats. That oath declares repeatedly that Hong Kong is a “special administrative region” of China. The government had warned lawmakers in advance they risked losing their seats if they did not take the oath properly.
Nathan Law, 23, Legco’s youngest lawmaker and a former pro-democracy protest leader, delivered an impassioned speech ahead of taking the oath. “You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body - but you can never imprison my mind,” he said, quoting India’s independence leader Mahatma Gandhi.
Each time he referred to China in the oath, he changed the tone to turn it into a question.
Two new pro-independence lawmakers, Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching, added their own words before the oath, pledging to serve the “Hong Kong nation”. Both displayed flags emblazoned with the words: “Hong Kong is not China”.
Leung took the full oath in English but refused to pronounce “China” correctly, instead calling it “Cheena”.
Yau also appeared to utter a profanity while reading “People’s Republic of China” in English during the ceremony, but she later denied it.
New lawmaker Eddie Chu, who advocates a public referendum on Hong Kong’s future sovereignty, shouted “Democratic self- determination! Tyranny will perish!” after taking his oath. Teacher Lau Siu-lai, also a former Umbrella Movement activist, read every word of the oath at a snail’s pace, prompting some pro-Beijing lawmakers to walk out. — AFP
New generation and special status
- The global financial hub was promised extensive freedom and a high degree of autonomy under a “one country, two systems” principle when the British handed it back in 1997
- But younger people have grownfrustrated at stalled changes, sparking calls for greater autonomy, fromself-determination to independence
- Hong Kong’s mini-constitution does not explicitly forbid discussion of independence and it grantsfreedom of expression
