Beijing mouthpiece steps up attacks on Youngspiration duo, wants them barred from Legco

Article in People’s Daily overseas edition says Sixtus Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching violated basic law and must face consequences

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The People’s Daily article said Yau Wai-ching (left) and Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang disregarded the feelings of all Chinese nationals for their political capital. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 1:00pm, 1 Nov 2016Updated: 3:43pm, 1 Nov 2016

The Chinese state media has stepped up its attacks on localist lawmakers Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching, saying the duo should be barred from entering the Legislative Council and must bear legal responsibility for their insulting acts and for advocating Hong Kong independence.

Citing remarks by three members of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, the People’s Daily overseas edition stated in Tuesday’s paper that the conduct of the Youngspiration pair had violated the Basic Law and challenged the principle of “one country, two systems”. The article called for the duo to bear the legal consequences of their actions even though they were not officially lawmakers.

“The insulting oaths of Leung and Yau were ... full of ill will. This had obviously breached and is a challenge to the Basic Law. The pair are not qualified to be lawmakers,” it read.

The two localist lawmakers triggered outrage during their swearing-in ceremony when they referred to China as “Chee-na”, a variation of the derogatory term “Shina” used by Japan during wartime, and displaying a flag bearing the words “Hong Kong is not China”.

Watch: Three Hong Kong lawmakers have oath rejected

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