CE: Separatism backers breach ‘one country’ bottom line

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor reiterated on Saturday that anyone advocating separatism is deemed to have violated the bottom line of “one country”, and would be ineligible to be a legislator as there’s no room for condoning separatism.

Her remarks came after Labour Party member Lau Siu-lai was barred from contesting next month’s Legislative Council by-election for the Kowloon West geographical constituency.

Explaining the decision to disqualify Lau on Friday, the returning officer said it was based on Lau’s past political activities and public comments, which suggested she has not changed her political agenda — seeking Hong Kong independence which is against the fact that the SAR is an inalienable part of China.

Speaking in a radio program, Lam said the bottom line is crystal clear, that is Hong Kong is an inalienable part of the country, as stipulated in both Articles 1 and 12 of the Basic Law.

Article 104 of the Basic Law of the HKSAR also makes it clear that local lawmakers should and must pledge allegiance to the SAR and the country, and uphold the Basic Law, thus, one can’t expect to become a legislator while advocating Hong Kong independence.

Lam said she supports the decision made by the returning officer on legal grounds and the facts of the case.

As the city’s leader, she said she has the dual duty to answer to the central government and to the Hong Kong public on the SAR’s constitutional status and constitutional requirements.

If the government keeps silent and condones such separatist acts, she warned that the consequences would be worse, and the government must send a clear message on its stance on Hong Kong independence.

The returning officer’s decision was also hailed by heavyweights from various sectors.

Brave Chan Yung — chairman of the New Territories Association of Societies and also a Hong Kong deputy to the National People’s Congress — said the decision to disqualify Lau has again proved that a politician must safeguard the core values of Hong Kong, and is a clear warning to those who continue to challenge the law.

Wu Lianghao — a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference — said the returning officer’s move to safeguard the law’s bottom line is legitimate.

The by-election to fill in the Kowloon West seat, to be held on Nov 25, is part of a political melodrama in which six seats were vacated after six former legislators were ruled by the city’s court to have failed to be sworn in according to the law.

Lau, who was among the disqualified lawmakers, had deliberately paused for seconds in between every word when taking her oath of office in 2016. She said later in her social media account she had done it deliberately to render the oath meaningless.

Candidates who have declared their intention to run are former lawmaker Frederick Fung Kin-kee, former chief executive of a social enterprise Chan Hoiyan and Lee Cheuk-yan of the Labour Party.