Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam gives reasons legislators will be disqualified

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's Chief Executive, on Wednesday said lawmakers unable to uphold basic law and pledge allegiance to Hong Kong should be disqualified as legislators.

Hong Kong has moved to disqualify four pro-democracy legislators after Beijing passed a resolution that would allow the local government to remove lawmakers from their positions if they’re deemed to threaten national security.

The disqualification of Alvin Yeung, Dennis Kwok, Kwok Ka-ki and Kenneth Leung came after the National People's Congress Standing Committee, which held meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, passed a resolution stating that those who support the city's independence or refuse to acknowledge China's sovereignty over the city, as well as commit acts that threaten national security or ask external forces to interfere in the city's affairs, should be disqualified.

Pro-democracy lawmakers from the opposition camp responded to the decision and said they will resign en masse in a show of defiance if any pro-democracy legislators were disqualified.

The group is expected to formally announce their resignation in a news conference later Wednesday.

A mass resignation by the pro-democracy camp would leave Hong Kong's legislature with only pro-Beijing lawmakers.

Lam said it was "unfair to the pro-establishment members" to suggest that the legislature would become a "rubber stamp of the Hong Kong SAR government."

Beijing has in recent months moved to clamp down on opposition voices in Hong Kong with the imposition of national security law, after months of anti-government protests last year rocked the city.