Four Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Lawmakers Removed Over Swearing-in Oaths - Reports

The Hong Kong High Court disqualified four pro-democracy lawmakers for taking their swearing-in oaths in a provocative manner, local media reported Friday.

HONG KONG (Sputnik) — According to Hong Kong Free Press newspaper, four pro-democracy lawmakers, Edward Yiu, Nathan Law, Leung Kwok-Hung and Lau Siu-lai were removed from office on a charge of insincere or undignified manner of delivering their oaths of office, which was regarded as disrespect toward China who is the official sovereign of this autonomous territory.

Yiu added to his oath the phrase "for democracy and for Hong Kong's sustainable development," Law made the phrase "People's Republic of China" to sound like a question and Lau read her oath very slowly for about 10 minutes, which was considered by Beijing as disregard.

Prior to November's developments, Beijing intervened in Hong Kong's domestic policies and issued an amendment to Hong Kong Basic Law providing that legislators who deliver their oaths in an insincere or undignified manner must be removed from office.

Hong Kong is an autonomous territory of China that has its own Constitution called the Basis Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Hong Kong has repeatedly sought for extending its legislative power. When Chinese government declined proposed reforms to the Hong Kong electoral system in 2014, protesters took to the streets of Hong Kong, these events came to be known as Umbrella Revolution.