Seven Lawmakers Arrested For Legco Disruption

Legco descended into chaos on May 8, seven arrested today

 

Seven pan-democratic lawmakers were arrested this morning and charged with suspicion of contempt and interference with Legislative Council officers on May 8.

They are accused of disrupting Legco's House Committee meeting that day that descended into chaos. 

The House Committee is responsible for scrutinizing government bills before they are put to a vote in the legislature, and it had failed to elect a new chairman.

Opposition lawmaker Dennis Kwok Wing-hang was presiding over the meetings and was accused of deliberately delaying the election of a chair to block the passage of laws the opposition disagreed on, one of which was the national anthem bill.

Starry Lee was surrounded by guards

After two Beijing agencies publicly slammed Kwok for filibustering, the pro-establishment camp moved to take control of the committee.

Pro-establishment leader Starry Lee Wai-king, surrounded by Legco security guards, managed to occupy the chairman's seat and the guards (colluding with the pro-establishment camp), made it impossible for the pan-democrats to get close to her. At one point Eddie Chu Hoi-dick climbed the wall behind the podium to get closer to her.

Lee then took control of the committee and began clearing a backlog of bills to review, much to the surprise of pan-democrats, who accused her of abusing her power.

During the melee, pro-Beijing lawmaker Kwok Wai-keung dragged pan-democrat Raymond Chan Chi-chuen several metres on the floor by his shirt -- but Kwok was not arrested for this in this morning's police roundup.

Chan being dragged by Kwok in Legco

When reporters asked why Kwok Wai-keung was not arrested, the police replied they are seeking legal advice from the Department of Justice.

There are so many video clips showing Kwok Wai-keung physically harming Chan, and yet it is the victim who is arrested.

This afternoon the pan-democrats released a joint statement, strongly condemning the Hong Kong government for "arbitrary arrests and suppression of lawmakers and the people's rights of resistance".

"The Legco ordinance was originally intended to protect lawmakers. It is ridiculous that it is now being misused by the authoritarian government as a legal weapon of oppression... We demand the unconditional and immediate release of all democrats."

The pan-democrats held a press conference in the early evening. Democratic Party lawmaker Andrew Wan Siu-kin said it was absurd that officers had to search his home and take him away early this morning.

"The parties that showed the most contempt towards Legco were loyalists and the government," he said. "Many pro-establishment colleagues broke the law during the meeting... I was injured, police said they would investigate, but now I'm arrested -- the plaintiff has become the defendant."

However, Kwok Wai-keung, who dragged Chan on May 8, said police were only doing their job.

Chu (top right) tried to get closer to Lee

"The opposition camp thought that there would be no consequence to what they did. But the legislature was just too chaotic. Police needed to make things right," he said.

Those charged are Democratic Party lawmakers Wan, Wu Chi-wai, and Helena Wong Pik-wan; Labour Party chairman Kwok Wing-kin; lawmaker Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung; and former lawmakers Chu and Chan.

Chu and Chan have already stepped down and decided not to participate in the extended year in Legco.  

The arrests are another sign of Beijing and the government weaponizing the law to pick off its opposition and perhaps eventually eliminating all of them.

Maybe that would end the need for elections?!

Hong Kong's institutions are being dismantled during the pandemic, while democratic nations around the world are too busy fighting Covid-19.

Practically everyday a new development changes the city bit by bit. Soon it will be unrecognizable, even to us who live here.