Fifteen pro-democracy lawmakers in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council held a press conference to announce their collective resignation in protest after the Hong Kong government announced the disqualification of four pro-democracy lawmakers, including Yang Yueqiao, Kwok Wing-kang, Kwok Ka-ki and Leung Jee-cheong.
Zhu Mu Min, executive director of the Washington-based Hong Kong Democratic Committee (HKDC), told VOA that Beijing’s move, which was made in defiance of the law and the existing system and in total disregard for the will of the people of Hong Kong, was tantamount to declaring a death sentence for Hong Kong’s political system.
They’ve cut off the only remaining, elected voice of the people of Hong Kong,” Zhu said. I think it’s devastating, it’s a death sentence for the political system in Hong Kong. I’m not surprised by it, and I don’t think it will be the final nail in the coffin of the last shred of legitimacy of Hong Kong’s political system.”
Zhu said Hong Kong’s Legislative Council would henceforth be no different from China’s People’s Congress, a rubber stamp for the Communist Party. He praised the pan-democratic lawmakers’ collective resignation as “using their remaining power to show Hong Kong people and the world the failure of the system and the government”.
Zhu said Beijing might be taking advantage of the deadlock in the U.S. election, but in reality the U.S. government has been closely monitoring the situation in Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Democratic Committee this week briefed the U.S. government, the State Department and Congress on Beijing’s expected crackdown on the Legislative Council. The U.S. government on Monday imposed a new round of sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials. Meanwhile, Biden’s team, which is expected to take office, is also closely monitoring developments in Hong Kong.
He said the recent U.S. election, in which the rule of law was followed, stands in stark contrast to the current crackdown on Hong Kong from the Chinese Communist Party, which is ignoring the law.
We went to the polls despite the pandemic and other events,” Zhu said. Even though the vote was divided, we went to court and let the courts deal with it. I think the Chinese Communist Party may be intent on exploiting the current uncertainty in the United States. I think what they should see is how resilient the will of the people can be, even in a polarized America. I think they will see in Hong Kong that after forcibly and unilaterally and unlawfully removing the duly elected representatives of the people, which has been going on for years, the people will not give in and they will not give up.”
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