'Long Hair' may lose Legco seat after jail sentence

Lawmaker 'Long Hair' Leung Kwok-hung's Legislative Council seat is in jeopardy after he was sentenced to two months in jail for his role in disrupting a public forum on a proposal to scrap Legco by-elections.

A lawmaker who is jailed for more than one month can be stripped of his seat if a motion is passed by a two-thirds majority in Legco. Leung, who condemned the verdict, and four others jailed for three weeks were released on bail pending an appeal.

Legco president Tsang Yok-sing said he would take legal advice on expelling Leung (pictured) from the chamber, regardless of any appeal.

Leung, 55, of the League of Social Democrats, was convicted on Monday after a trial at Kowloon City Court, along with radio host and newspaper columnist Wong Yeung-tat, 32, mechanic Yung Wai-tong, 59, and students Tang Kin-wa and Chan Sin-ying, both 22. They had pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal damage, acting in a disorderly manner at a public gathering and behaving in a disorderly manner. Leung was also ordered to pay HK$4,150 for damaging government property.

Speaking outside the court, Leung said the sentence was severe and politically influenced, as his act had embarrassed forum speaker Stephen Lam Sui-lung, then secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs.

'You can lock up my body, but you can't lock up my soul,' he said.