Clash for Power in the Legislative Council

Eddie Chu Hoi-dick tries to climb the wall to take over Starry Lee's seat

Beijing's belief that it rules over Hong Kong continued today in a shameless attempt by pro-Beijing lawmakers in the Legislative Council to chair a committee by throwing out pan-democrats.

There hasn't been a chair elected, and Civic Party's Dennis Kwok Wing-hang had been presiding over the previous 17 meetings as vice chairman. The DAB's Starry Lee Wai-king is the incumbent House Committee Chairwoman, but will be up for re-election. So who should be in charge?

However, Beijing was displeased with Kwok's filibustering strategy (which is legal), that has delayed the passing of many bills, including the controversial national anthem bill, outlining how Hongkongers should behave when the March of the Volunteers is played.

Starry Lee (in yellow) is protected by Legco security

Even with a majority in Legco, Beijing couldn't understand why the pro-Beijing bloc could not control this committee until it gave its blessing for lawmakers to physically take control, not legally.

With the collusion of Legco security staff, Lee rushed to occupy the podium seat, beating opposition lawmakers to it; the security staff surrounded her and prevented pan-democrats from getting close to her at all.

Underneath her mask one could see she had a smirk on her face.

Then the rest of the afternoon was watching pan-democrats trying to physically unseat her. At one point Eddie Chu Hoi-dick tried to climb the wall to get at Lee, and then Raymond Chan Chi-chuen was dragged to the ground by Kwok Wai-keung for several metres until one of his colleagues stopped him.

Andrew Wan Siu-kin was expelled and injured his back so paramedics had to put him on a stretcher and wheel him out.

Barefooted Raymond Chan is physically removed from Legco

One by one the pan-democrats were removed, some carried out and shouting, "Starry Lee acting beyond her authority!"

Watching these scenes was surreal and sad to watch. What is happening to law and order in Hong Kong? The Legislative Council is one of the institutions where the Basic Law is supposed to be practiced and here all decorum was dumped in favour of power.

The shenanigans today make the pro-Beijing camp look like blind sheep doing Beijing's bidding. Is this how they want to be remembered especially in the upcoming Legislative Council election in September?

Even former Legco president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing says Beijing's tightening grip on Hong Kong will only make its people even more resistant of the central government.

Jasper Tsang says decorum must be followed in Legco

He was being interviewed by Emily Lau Wai-hing just as these scuffles were happening in Legco.

"If everybody still believes that we should try our best to put 'One Country, Two Systems' back on the right track, that we should resolve our differences by working out a way forward which can be acceptable to all stakeholders, then we have to find a way to try to break the vicious cycle," Tsang said. 

"It's so easy when we have arrived at this point for everybody to stick to their position. I can't see any good coming from that."

He also said it was crucial for democracy to be practiced in Legco.

"For the institution to function properly you need a consensus among all the different parties. You need a common purpose to allow the council to work. This is important," he said.

"So the majority always has to understand and respect the wishes of the minority. Of course, the minority should also abide by the rule that the decisions should be taken by the majority," he added.

Does Tsang want to mediate between the two sides?

He sounds like the only level-headed adult in the room at the moment...