IN THEIR brief time as lawmakers, Sixtus Leung and Yau Wai-ching have voted on no laws. Their careers as members of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, or Legco, ended just 12 days after they began. Yet their impact was huge. In that short time they managed to stall the workings of government, inspire a riot and provoke the Communist Party in Beijing to meddle with the territory’s judiciary. Their legacy will be long-lasting and contentious.
It was no surprise the High Court ruled on November 15th that Mr Leung and Ms Yau, from a party called Youngspiration, were unfit to take up their posts in Legco. While taking their oaths last month the pair swore, referred to China in a derogatory way and displayed banners saying “Hong Kong is not China”. A judge declared they had not acted “faithfully and truthfully” and had forfeited their seats.
Many people in Hong Kong say the two behaved offensively. But many are also upset by the response both of their own government as well as the central one in Beijing. Legislators critical of the Communist Party’s influence in Hong Kong often use gestures or statements to undermine the impact of...Continue reading
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