Hong Kong protests: lawmaker Cheng Chung-tai apologises for turning flags upside down in Legco chamber in 2016
- The Civic Passion member is seeking re-election in the coming Legco polls
- In a letter to electoral official, Cheng also promises to ‘make amends’
Cheng Chung-tai of localist party Civic Passion said in a letter to an electoral official that he had reflected on his antics since the court case, realising it was wrong and that he had since been upholding the Basic Law and showing respect for the national flag.
Cheng is seeking re-election in New Territories West constituency in the Legco polls, expected to be held on September 6.
I ... will continue upholding the Basic Law, and cherish the national flag
On October 19, 2016, lawmakers from the pro-establishment Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong put the miniature national and Hong Kong flags on their desks in the chamber, to protest against several pro-independence members’ bids to retake their oaths, which had previously been ruled invalid.
Cheng upended the flags after the pro-government members left the chamber to prevent the retaking.
He argued at the time that his intention was to poke fun at the rival camp for their “cheap display of patriotism”.
In a 2017 court ruling, Cheng was found guilty of desecrating the national and Hong Kong flags, and fined HK$5,000 (US$645). He subsequently lost his teaching job at Polytechnic University in 2018 as a result of disciplinary action related to his conviction.
In a letter dated on Tuesday to returning officer Janet Wong Chin-kiu, Cheng wrote: “I offer my apology. I will make amends and will continue upholding the Basic Law, and cherish the national flag.”
He also declared that he “absolutely” did not support Hong Kong independence.
During his four-year term, Cheng was regarded as an independent opposition lawmaker who kept a distance from both the traditional pan-democrats and other localist lawmakers who resorted to more confrontational antics in the chamber.
His party, Civic Passion, declined to participate in the opposition camp’s unofficial primary earlier this month.
Legislator guilty of desecrating Hong Kong and China flags
Separately, activist Lester Shum, who hopes to stand in the district council (second) constituency, was also questioned by authorities about his political views. In his reply, he said he no longer wanted to demand foreign countries’ sanctions on Hong Kong.
