Beijing interpretation on Legislative Council oath taking rattles Hong Kong
Beijing’s decision to opt for a Basic Law interpretation over two Youngspiration legislators’ insulting oaths is contentious, but there may be logic to the move
A decision by the mainland’s top legislative body to intervene over the oath-taking shenanigans of two localist lawmakers caught many Hongkongers by surprise when speculation gathered steam and sources confirmed the move.
But for the mainland’s political elite infuriated by the pair’s conduct, anger was building up over weeks.
The imminent ruling by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC), which is due to begin deliberations on it on Thursday, was triggered by a chain of events that made the controversial move inevitable.
“They called for effective action to rein in the calls for Hong Kong independence. Interpretation of the Basic Law is inevitable against this backdrop,” the source told the Post.
During their oath-taking on October 12, the duo pledged allegiance to “the Hong Kong nation” and pronounced China as “Chee-na”, a variation of the derogatory Shina used by Japan during the second world war. To add insult to injury, they displayed a banner with the words “Hong Kong is not China”.