‘Absolutely unreasonable’: Ousted Hong Kong lawmakers vow to ‘fearlessly’ resist political oppression after arrest – Hong Kong Free Press

Former lawmakers Yau Wai-ching and Baggio Leung Chung-hang have vowed to fearlessly resist political oppression following theirsurprise arrest on Wednesday morning.

Dont dream that the government will reconcilewith the opposition camp it will only continue oppressingvoices forself-determination. But we will fearlessly fight for our ideals, Yau said outside the Central Police Station on Wednesday afternoon.

Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching met the press outside the Central Police Station. Photo: Apple Daily.

The pair are facing one charge of allegedly participating in an unlawful assembly, and an alternative charge of forced entry. They paid HK$3,000 bail money and will appear at the Eastern Magistrates Courts on Friday.

But they said it is very unlikely that they will plead guilty to the charges.Leung added that three of their former assistants are facing similar charges and will appear in court together with them on Friday.

Wednesdays arrests were related to a chaotic episode at the legislature onNovember 2 last year, when the pairtriedto barge into a meeting room following Legislative Council President Andrew Leungs decision to bar them from attending any meetings. At the time, the duo were facinga judicial review case filedby the government challenging the validityof their oaths of office.

The chaos left three security guards injured and hospitalised. The pro-Beijing camp and the Legislative Council Secretariatcalled police for assistance.

Unreasonable and unacceptable

Two weeks after the incident, the High Court ruled that the oaths of Yau and Leung were invalid, thereby disqualifying them from the legislature. Baggio Leung argued that they were still lawmakers before the ruling.

A security guard was sent to the hospital duringthe chaos lastNovember 2. File Photo: Stanley Leung/HKFP.

Hedescribed the charge ofunlawful assembly as bizarre, unreasonable and unacceptable on the basis that lawmakers are entitled to attend meetings to fulfil their duty.

He added that he and Yau were politicallytargeted because technicallyunlawful assembly takes place every day. He gave the example of Tuesdays football match at Mong Kok stadium whereChinese football fans unfurled an anti-Hong Kong independence banner.

That was also unlawful assembly, and they harassed a lot of HongKong people, Leung said.

Politicalgroup Civil Human Rights Front also argued that the pair should have been considered lawmakers on the day in question.

[Yau and Leung] were entitledto attend the meeting. Those who unreasonably prevented the pair from fulfilling their duty as lawmakers should be condemned, it said.

It alsoaccused incumbent leader Leung Chung-yingof cleansing the camp of dissident voicesin preparation ofthe assumption of office by incoming chief executive Carrie Lam in July. It said political oppression had intensified since the Legislative Council election last September.

Iturged the pro-democracy camp and civil groups to stand united.Even if we disapprove of their ideologies, we will fight to the death to defend their political rights, it added.

Former lawmakers Baggio Leung (L) and Yau Wai-ching (R) outside the High Court. File photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP.

Lawmaker Long Hair Leung Kwok-hung saidthe government should take all the blame on the basis that the chaos would not haveoccurred had the duosoaths not been challenged.

He added that Andrew Leung should also be partly responsible as he decided to bar Yau and Leung from attending meetings.

The pro-democracy Demosisto party said in a statement that the politically driven arrest on Wednesday showed it was unrealistic to expect the new government to mend its relationship with the pro-democracy camp.

Meanwhile, lawmaker Starry Lee, leader of the pro-Beijing DAB party said everyone should take responsibility for their actions if a security officer is hurt: We have to trust our police and our relevant department[s].

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'Absolutely unreasonable': Ousted Hong Kong lawmakers vow to 'fearlessly' resist political oppression after arrest - Hong Kong Free Press