Hong Kong legislature opens; democracy bloc set to resign

Hong Kong's legislature opened Thursday ahe of planned mass resignation of its pro-democracy bloc, one day after government ousted four of its members. One of pro-democracy lawmakers, Lam Cheuk-ting, unfurled a banner from a balcony of legislative council building saying city's leer Carrie Lam h brought disaster to Hong Kong and its people.

group h said y would hand in resignation letters on Thursday, but it was t immediately clear when y would do it or even what proper procedure was. One said removal of ir four colleagues could sound “death knell” for democracy in semi-automous Chinese territory.

resignation of 15 remaining pro-democracy lawmakers would ratchet up tensions over future of Hong Kong , a former British colony, regional financial hub and bastion of Western-style civil liberties where China's government has increasingly tightened its control. A new national security law imposed by Beijing this year has alarmed international community.

mass departure would also leave Hong Kong’s legislature with only pro-Beijing lawmakers, who alrey make up a majority but would be able to pass bills favored by Beijing without much opposition.

lawmakers anunced ir decision hours after Hong Kong government said it was disqualifying four legislators — Alvin Yeung, Dennis Kwok, Kwok Ka-ki and Kenneth Leung.

ousters came after China's National People’s Congress Standing Committee passed a resolution this week saying that any lawmaker who supports Hong Kong's independence, refuses to ackwledge China’s sovereignty over city, threatens national security, or asks external forces to interfere in city’s affairs should be disqualified.

“This is an actual act by Beijing . . . to sound death knell of Hong Kong’s democracy fight because y would think that, from w on, anyone y found to be politically incorrect or unpatriotic or are simply t likable to look at, y could just oust you using any means,” lawmaker Claudia Mo told reporters.

Hong Kong leer Carrie Lam defended ir removal, saying legislators must act properly and that city needs a body comprised of patriots. “We cant allow members of Legislative Council who have been judged in accordance with law to be unable to fulfill requirements and prerequisites for serving on Legislative Council to continue to operate in Legislative Council,” Lam said.

Lam said that legislature would t become a rubber-stamp body, and that diverse opinions are welcome.  U.S., U.K. and Australia deunced move.

President Donald Trump’s national security viser, Robert O’Brien, said it leaves " doubt that Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has flagrantly violated its international commitments under Si-British Joint Declaration and its promises to people of Hong Kong. . . . ‘One Country, Two Systems’ is w merely a fig leaf covering for CCP’s expanding one party dictatorship in Hong Kong.”

Australia said disqualification of four lawmakers “seriously undermined” Hong Kong’s democratic processes and institutions. “Australia calls on authorities to allow Legislative Council to fulfil its role as primary forum for popular political expression in Hong Kong, and to remain a key pillar of rule of law and “One Country, Two Systems” framework,” Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement.

Britain also said decision raised furr concerns. “This campaign to harass, stifle and disqualify democratic opposition tarnishes China’s international reputation and undermines Hong Kong’s long-term stability,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement.

In recent months, Beijing has increasingly clamped down on Hong Kong, despite promising when it took control in 1997 to leave territory's more open legal and ecomic systems intact for 50 years until 2047.

Beijing imposed a national security law in June that some have labeled draconian after anti-government protests rocked city for months last year, and it has used it to crack down on opposition voices.

In response, U.S. leveled sanctions on several officials, including Lam. Several Western countries have suspended ir extrition treaties with territory, and Australia and Britain have offered Hong Kongers easier paths to settle in those countries.

Beijing has lashed out at what it calls gross foreign interference in Chinese politics. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Wednesday that disqualification was necessary to maintain rule of law and constitutional order in Hong Kong.

“We firmly support (Hong Kong) government in performing its duties in accordance with Standing Committee’s decision,” he said.

Earlier in year, four lawmakers were barred from seeking reelection in a vote originally scheduled for September — but remained in ir posts. y were disqualified over ir calls for foreign governments to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and Beijing.

government eventually postponed planned September election by a year, citing coronavirus, but pro-democracy camp criticized move as an attempt to block m from taking a majority of seats in Legislature — which was a possibility in coming election.