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#LegCo #DQ #NoElection #ProvisionalCouncil #BeijingIntervention

Pro-democracy Lawmakers Eddie Chu and Raymond Chan Lean on Leaving LegCo to Denounce Beijing's Political Arrangement

Part 3/3

Wishing Legislators Would Prove Their Decisions With Action, Raymond Chan: "Hadn't Done Their Best Last Year."

Pro-democracy lawmaker Raymond Chan, of People Power, agreed that the pro-democracy camp should decide with a referendum or a poll, stating that legislators should not stay without public authorisation.

"Although a lack of elections means a lack of public authorisation, they should only be allowed to stay if the public supports their decision." He continued that although he and
Pro-democracy lawmaker
Eddie Chu had suggested random polls around Hong Kong, not many people within the pro-democracy camp found interest with the suggestion.

When confronted with the dilemma of whether those who choose to stay could use to "Provisional Legislative Council"s power well", Chan expressed his concern, as he "[doesn't] know whether they are up to the task". He stated that he did not believe in denigrations from some members of the public, such as accusations that claimed "greediness" as the reason behind their stay. But he stated that those who lean towards staying should prove their decisions with actions, not repeating mantras such as "fight 'til the end".

Chan emphasised that he had no intention of leaving people out to die or state that "only by fighting or landing in prison would it justify their purpose". But he recalled that some legislators had not "did their best" during their term, "even the pro-Beijing camp has better attendance, more speeches, and more votes." He agreed with Wu Chi-wai, chairman of the Democratic Party's opinion that having the opposition in the parliament could delay new "evil laws", but continued to emphasise the importance of proving their decisions with action, saying that, "If you're sitting there only to give speeches and vote "objection" or "abstain", I don't believe that supporters would accept this."

Addressing the fear of losing the right to speak once legislators leave the Legislative Council, Chan stated that it depends on the people for the resistance to survive, that people could have very high recognition despite not being in the Legislative Council, such as some YouTubers or key opinion leaders. He continued that no matter when people suggest a mass resignation would there be opinions against the decision, believing that staying in the Legislative Council has its advantages.

Chan also called for pro-democracy camp members who lean towards staying to listen to public opinion before making their decision or risk a more intense emotional backlash, stating that, "People would respect you or feel disappointed if you leave when they have voted for you to stay; but if you stubbornly refuse to leave when the people called for it, you attract hatred."

Source: Stand News #Aug18
#EddieChu #RayChan

Read the 3-part Series on Democracy Front's Debates on Whether Incumbent Pro-dem Lawmakers shall Serve in Extended Term Under Beijing's LegCo Arrangement:

Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24384

Part 2:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24385

Part 3:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24386
#ProvisionalCouncil
15 Pro-Dem Legislators' Stay in #LegCo to be Decided by Public Opinion Poll

The pro-democracy legislators' decision of whether or not to stay in the Legislative Council for the next year has been up to debate, after the Carrie Lam adminstration postponed the Legislative Election by a year.

15 pro-democracy legislators had decided to use a public opinion poll to determine their stay in the Legislative Council, with the Democratic Party entrusting the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (#HKPORI) to conduct one.

Chairman of Democratic Party Wu Chi-wai stated that they would leave if half of all participating supporters believes that the pro-democracy camp should leave the Legislative Council.

Participating legislators include seven from the Democratic Party, five from the Civic Party, Claudia Mo from HK First, Fernando Cheung from the Labour Party and Shiu Ka-chun from the Social Welfare functional constituency. Leung Yiu-chung from the Neighbourhood and Worker's Service Centre also expressed that he would take the polls to account.

HKPORI Director Prof. Robert Chung believes that the Institute had decreased the gray area in the current threshold, but stated that "politically neutral" participants would also be taken in account, causing the percentage for those in favour or against the stay to be both not more than half.

When asked about the protocol for such an event, Wu stated that they would take different information into account before making a political judgement.

As for why they were only taking supporters of the participating legislators into account, and not towards all pro-democratic supporters, the Democractic Party stated that it had once considered for all supporters of the pro-democratic camp to participate, but Prof. Chung denied the request stating that the legislator's citizen authorisation came from their supporters.

Prof. Chung had been adamant on Friday, stating that were pro-democratic legislators not tied down, they should not have asked for authorisation.

Source: Ming Pao #Sept5

#DemocraticParty #WuChiWai #RobertChung #Methodology #PublicOpinion #Authorization

======
Read the 3-part Series on Democracy Front's Dillemma on Whether Incumbent Pro-dem Lawmakers shall Serve in Extended Term Under Beijing's LegCo Arrangement:

Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24384

Part 2:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24385

Part 3:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24386
#LegCo #CCPControl #DQ #ProvisionalLegCo
Pro-democracy Lawmakers in HK Vow Mass Resignation over any Disqualification by the Authorities

Source: Apple Daily #Nov9

Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
#LegCo #CCPControl #DQ #ProvisionalLegCo
Pro-democracy Lawmakers in HK Vow Mass Resignation over any Disqualification by the Authorities

According to sources, Beijing planned to remove certain pro-democratic legislators from Hong Kong's Legislative Council.

Pro-democracy camp's convener Wu Chi-wai said that all pro-democracy legislators had agreed that once the PRC's National People's Congress Standing Committee (#NPCSC) had decided to disqualify pro-democracy lawmakers in Hong Kong, they would resign en masse without regrets. This is to show the Chinese Communist Party and the world that, they were strongly against the regime's abusive interference in Hong Kong's legislature.

Wu added that if the NPCSC disqualifies any democrats , this would only mean that the democratic camp had incurred Beijing's wrath by carrying their duty to monitor the government.

Wu also criticized Beijing's unconstitutional decision of disqualification, which reflected CCP's blatant disrespect to Hong Kong people's voices and opinions.

Wu slammed the pro-Beijing camp, who supported the dismissal of the democrats for the use of filibustering. Wu stated that the Basic Law had conferred the lawmakers the power to supervise the government and call for the quorum to be counted in the chamber.

Wu criticized that it was ridiculous for the pro-Beijing legislators to palm off the responsibility of 'failing to convene the meeting' to the pro-democrats.

When asked whether he was regretted choosing to remain in the chamber for another year, Wu answered that the core of the problem lied in the government, who cannot even tolerate the lawmakers exercising their power to vet the bills conferred by the council's rules of procedure.

Source: Apple Daily #Nov9
https://hk.appledaily.com/local/20201109/FMOIT275LNH7LNMHDDQ3QRILSU/

#MassResignation
Free World Against Chinese Communist Party for PRC's
"Total Hostility to Democratic Accountability"


Chris Patten, Hong Kong's last governor, spoke on Beijing's removal of pro-democracy lawmakers on Nov 11, 2020:

"This is yet another example of the Chinese Communist Party trampling on what is left of democracy in Hong Kong.

Once again, Xi Jinping's regime has demonstrated its total hostility to democratic accountability, and those who wish to stand up for it."

Benedict Rogers of Hong Kong Watch described the unrepresentative legislature without its oppositional camp as a "rubber stamp".

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called it "a further assault on Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and freedoms under the UK-China Joint Declaration".

Source: Hong Kong Watch; UK Foreign Ministry #Nov11

#DQ #ChrisPatten #Raab
#DQ #MassResignation #LegCo
HK Pro-dem Lawmaker Claudia Mo Submits Resignation in Black Clothes with a Yellow Umbrella

On Nov 11, 2020, he PRC's Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress forcefully disqualifies 4 elected lawmakers in Hong Kong, citing that their "lack of devotion for Beijing and the Hong Kong government" as a reason.

Read more:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26565

After the announcement with immediate effect, the majority of the pro-democracy camp decided to quit.

On the afternoon of Nov 12 2020, pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo, donning black and holding a yellow umbrella, submitted her resignation at Legislative Council's Secretariat.

Mo told the journalists that she went through the 2014 Umbrella Revolution and the 2019 Anti-ELAB movement while being a lawmaker for two terms. She chose to wear black clothes and carry a yellow umbrella to commemorate the day.

Source: Stand News #Nov12
https://www.facebook.com/710476795704610/posts/3637576039661323/

#ClaudiaMo
#FailedState #LegCo
A City Without the Opposition Camp in its Legislature

After Beijing forcefully removed by "disqualifying" four seating elected lawmakers, 15 pro-democracy lawmakers resigned en masse.

Without the opposition camp, the legislative council in Hong Kong has become a social club for the Beijing loyalists, who chitter-chattered and munched during the Finance Committee meeting on November 13, 2020.

The photo captured how Committee's Chair Chan Kin-por casually adjourned the meeting for a break, when he was sighted passing on a pack of biscuits to another Beijing loyalist, Chow Ho-ding.

Source: Stand News #Nov13
#PoliticalOppression #BeijingLoyalist #DQ
#DQ #LegCoElection
Beijing Disqualify Elected Legislators in Hong Kong to Silence Critics, says #FiveEyesAlliance

Source: The Stand News #Nov19

Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
#DQ #LegCoElection
Beijing Disqualify Elected Legislators in Hong Kong to Silence Critics, says
#FiveEyesAlliance

The Five Eyes Alliance, an intelligence coalition formed by the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, issued a joint statement expressing serious concern regarding decision of China's Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPCSC) on “Issues Relating to the Qualification of the Members of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region”, which resulted in the disqualification of four elected legislators, describing it as part of a campaign to silence all critical voices.

The statement urge Chinese government to reconsider their decision, and immediately reinstate the Legislative Council members. It stated that for the the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong, China and Hong Kong authorities must respect the channels for the people of Hong Kong to express their legitimate concerns and opinions. It further reminds China as a leading member of the international community, is expected to live up to its international commitments and its duty to the people of Hong Kong.

Source: Stand News #Nov19

#UK #UnitedStates #Canada #Australia #NewZealand #HongKong #China #Disqualification #LegislativeCouncil #NPCSC
#NationalSecurityLaw #Asylum
HK Pro-democracy activist and Former Lawmaker #SixtusLeung seeks political asylum in US

Sixtus Leung Chung-heng told a reporter on December 11, 2020 that he has fled Hong Kong and is seeking political asylum in the United States.

On his Facebook, Leung declared the severance of all ties with his family in Hong Kong and resignation from his position and duties at the pro-independence political party #Youngspiration.

The former Youngspiration member said that after being "illegitimately deprived of his representation and voting rights", he'd been bankrupted, imprisoned and harassed under the National Security Law.

Leung opinioned that conditions have deteriorated since China forcefully imposed security laws in June, 2020 in Hong Kong. “Every day when we wake up, when we look at the mobile (phone) screen, the issue of first thing that pop up is: who of our friends are being arrested; who among our friends is being sentenced to jail."

See Haven Assistance's Statement:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/27241

Leung served four weeks in prison earlier in 2020 after being convicted of taking part in an unlawful assembly while trying to push his way into a Legco meeting four years ago. He also faces bankruptcy proceedings after Legco demanded him to return almost one million dollars in salary and other funding that he received prior to his disqualification.

Leung said in Washington that he hopes to meet with advisers of President-elect Joe Biden to urge him to ramp up pressure on China, pointing out that the United States should target Hong Kong's financial sector with tougher sanctions to deprive China of its 'ATM' and force Beijing to the negotiating table over its crackdown on the SAR.

He also suggested action to block Chinese banks from using Swift, a network used by banks globally to make financial transactions, and also target Hong Kong dollar's peg to the US currency "to try to force China to back to the negotiation table".

Source: Haven Assistance; RTHK; Reuters; #Dec11
https://t.me/rthk_new_e/14683

#Oppression #HongKongProtests #DQ #LegCo #US #Refugee #HavenAssistance
#WhiteTerror #PoliticalSuppression #DQ
HKGovernment's Crackdown Causes Hundreds of District Councillors to Resign; Tommy Cheung Sau-yin criticizes: “Why leaving when we've done nothing wrong?”

In Hong Kong, directly elected district councillors are expected to take an oath of allegiance for the Basic Law within July 2021. However, a recent notice from the government claimed that the district councillors would be disqualified and asked to returned the salary they receivrd since they took office.

If this is the case, each person would have to pay back more than one million Hong Kong dollars.

As of July 9, nearly 100 pro-democracy #DistrictCouncillors announced their resignation one after another, while some of them said they would stay behind.

Yuen Long District Councillor #Tommy Sau-yin Cheung announced on social media platform on the morning of July 9, 2021 that he would not resign.

Cheung said, “I decide to uphold the public authorization since winning the election, and continue to take the last path of my political life”. He also stated that he would not regret making this decision.

He said the government has no justifiable reason nor legal basis to deprive him of his qualification as a District Councillor.

Tuen Mun District Councillor Kenneth Cheung Kam-hung pointed out that the government was using intimidation tactics to make District Councillors retreat and weaken the voice of the opposition.

Vice Chairman of Kwai Tsing District Council Cheung Man-lung commented that the resignation of a large amount of pro-democracy District Councillors will paralyze the district-level work and will cause inconvenience to fellow citizens.

Source: InMedia #Jul9
https://bit.ly/3yEfvCC

#DistrictCouncil #TommyCheung #PoliceState #Intimidation #Crackdown #Salary
#PoliticalSuppression #DistrictCouncil #DQ
Former Democratic District Councillors Opt to Stay after Resignation and Open Stalls for Wine-Selling, “Want to Slow Down the Collapse of Civil Society"

Source: Stand News; #Aug13

Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
#PoliticalSuppression #DistrictCouncil
Former Democratic District Councillors Opt to Stay after Resignation and Open Stalls for Wine-Selling, “Want to Slow Down the Collapse of Civil Society”

In July 2021, the HKSAR Government claimed to disqualify democratic district councillors and would ask for a salary return from district councillors after disqualification, leading to the resignation of over half of these councillors. However, resignation does not mean leaving the area permanently. Instead, some of the resigned councillors continue their contribution to society in another way. For example, LAM Siu-Bun's office in Yau Tsim Mong becomes a miscellaneous stall; LEUNG Kwok-Ho's office in Cheung Chau becomes a wine shop; former Kwai Tsing District Councillor WONG Pit-Man returns to the community organisation Tsing Yi Islanders as a convener to organise different events.

The above three did not leave but having different perspectives. LEUNG admitted a struggle between being an “ordinary person” to take care of his family and staying for the community. However, many fellow co-fighters are in prison now, and he said, “I need to be here! With my ability. I don’t want to leave!”. LAM, was the assistant of IP Kin-yuen, strengthened his persistence to stay after the collapse of the HK Professional Teacher’s Union, “I don’t want to see a sudden collapse of civil society!”. WONG thought that she loaded down her identity as a district councillor, “returning” to her past, being a convener of an organisation concerning the community, doing what she should do.

Yet, what they all have in common, is, "Stay in the community even if they are no longer a district councillor".

#disqualify #hongkong #districtcouncil #LamSiuBun #LeungKwokHo #WongPitMan #IpKinYuen #TsingYiIIslander

Source: Stand News; #Aug13

https://bit.ly/3jW793q

#disqualification #DQ #DistrictCouncillor
Hong Kong Government Ousts Elected Lawmaker #ChengChungTai by "Disqualification"

The ‘Candidate Eligibility Review Committee’ of the Hong Kong SAR Government ousted CHENG Chung-tai, one of the final two opposition lawmakers from the city's lawmaking body, Legislative Council, on Thursday, 26 Aug, 2021. The news was announced by Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu.

Hong Kong's next Chief Executive will be selected by a non-elected 1,500-membered electoral in 2022. All of the members must be screened by the ‘Candidate Eligibility Review Committee’, chaired by #JohnLee, the city's former Security Chief.

The Committee has reviewed 1,498 electoral candidates and disqualified two of them. One of them is opposition lawmaker CHENG Chung-tai. Lee claimed, once Cheng loses his electoral candidature, he is disqualified immediately from his lawmaker seat.

Lee claimed that the committee had asked Cheng for information in ‘some matters’. After Cheng replied, the Committee for ‘Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong SAR’ said Cheng did not qualify.

Source: Initium Media #Aug27
https://bit.ly/3ykshFu

#PoliticalSuppression #Disqualifications #DQ #PoliceState #FakeElection #ChiefExecutiveElection #NationalSecurityLaw
Hong Kong Government Questions the Oath of Seven Pro-democracy District Councillors

On September 10, 2021, the Hong Kong SAR government demanded directly elected district councillors on Hong Kong Island to take oath, pledging allegiance. They are the first batch of district councillors scheduled for oath-taking.

The authorities accused seven pro-democracy district councillors who swore oaths of allegiance of being "questionable".

The seven councillors are Clarisse Yeung and Leung Pak-kin from the Wan Chai district council; Wei Siu-lik, So Yat-hang, Chan Wing-tai and Lai Tsz-yan from Eastern district; and Southern district's Michael Pang.

Peter Choi, a pro-democracy district councillor who didn’t show up, has been immediately 'disqualified' and removed from his seat by the authorities.

Source: Stand News; RTHK #Sept10
https://thestandnews.page.link/G8ZiXrEot1uUcCJq9

#PoliceState #Oath #DQ #DistrictCouncil #Disqualifications
#PoliticalOppression #Disqualification
16 More District Councillors Disqualified over Oath-Taking; Total of 326 Pro-Dem Seats Lost

#DistrictCouncil #DQ #Oath

Source: Stand News; #Oct21

Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
#PoliticalOppression #Disqualificafion
16 More District Councillors Disqualified over Oath-Taking; Total of 326 Pro-Dem Seats Lost

16 pro-democracy district councillors have been disqualified from office after authorities ruled that their government-required oaths were invalid.

They are from New Territories West, and are the last batch of councillors to take their oaths, a new requirement created after the pro-democracy camp's landslide victory in 2019.

Across all 18 districts in Hong Kong, a total of 49 pro-democracy district councillors have been ousted due to their oaths being ruled as invalid. 6 councillors directly lost their seats.

In the district council elections in 2019, the democrats had won a historic victory, winning 389 seats among the 452 elected seats in the 18 districts.

However, the number of members of the Democrats has gradually decreased in the past 2 years, some due to prison sentences longer than 3 months, some due to the councillors themselves leaving Hong Kong.

It was the government's oath-taking requirement, however, that led to the largest drop in numbers of democratic councillors.

In July this year, the government made use of the media to indicate their intention to disqualify large numbers of district councillors, and those disqualified would have to pay back all of their salaries since taking office in 2020, a sum exceeding $1M HKD. In light of this threat, 260 district councillors have resigned.

#DistrictCouncil #PoliticalOppression #Oath #DQ

Source: Stand News; #Oct21
https://thestandnews.page.link/hnKqV2DR8Ev7wBVp6

see also:
District Council election results, Nov 25, 2019
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/12233
https://www.facebook.com/BeWaterHongKong/posts/2519661708255300
#LegCoElection
DQ'd, Jailed, Exiled: the Fate of 31 Elected Pro-Democracy Members of 2016 Legislative Council

After a year-long delay, and after China has "perfected" Hong Kong's electoral system, the Legislative Council (Legco) election finally took place on December 19, 2021.

Unlike the past, traditional pro-democracy parties such as Democratic Party, Civic Party, and Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood are all absent from this election. Taking their place in running is a few lesser known, self-professed "non-establishment" candidates.

The previous Legco Election took place in 2016, in which over 2.2 million voters elected 35 legislators from the geographic constituencies, the only part of the legislature which is generated by direct election.

Taking by-elections into account, 31 pro-democracy legislators have been voted into office in 2016. However, these elected representatives can no longer serve as the voice of the people in the halls of the Legislature.

Of the 31, 4 have emigrated from Hong Kong or have left in exile. 14 are in custody or are serving prison sentences, while 5 have been released on bail. The remaining 10 have stepped back from politics.

The oath taking controversy in 2016-2017 saw six legislators disqualified ("DQ") and removed from office, as a result of China's National People's Congress reinterpreting the requirements in Hong Kong's Basic Law after the legislators have already taken their oaths.

Following the 2019 #AntiELAB movement, the pro-democracy camp initiated a primary election in a bid to secure over half of the seats in Legislature in the election originally scheduled for 2020. 610,000 voters cast their votes in the primaries which saw candidates from across the full spectrum of the democratic camp participate. 18 of them had been sitting members of the 2016 Legco.

However, the primary election was accused by the authorities to be a "plot to paralyze the government", and the police arrested 55 people associated to the primaries under the #NationalSecurityLaw. This includes 16 of the aforementioned 18 sitting Legco members; the remaining two, #NathanLaw and #TedHui, have left Hong Kong in exile.

Source: Stand News #Dec18
https://thestandnews.page.link/Tmr7PZVS2TohiCqWA

#PoliticalProsecution #DQ #HongKongElection #CCPStyle
#Regime #PoliceState #Arrest

===
Related News:

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31663

"Don't Vote" Banner Spotted on Lion Rock Mt. in Hong Kong
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31667

"Patriots-Only"
#LegCoElection Causes Lowest Turnout in Hong Kong History: 3.12 Million Hongkongers Cast #NoVote
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31665