Senior Beijing official in Hong Kong expresses ‘condemnation’ over localist lawmakers' oaths

Reported statement follows that of city’s leader as Legco committee chairman locks rejected localist lawmakers out of meeting

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The Hong Kong Legislative Council’s House Committee deputy chairman Dennis kwok wing-hang and chairwoman Starry Lee during the meeting which ended in a ban on discussions about the legality of the Legco presidential election. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 10:30pm, 14 Oct 2016Updated: 11:01am, 30 Nov 2016

A senior official at Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong has expressed “condemnation” over two localist lawmakers’ modified oaths as the city’s legislature remained in a state of disarray.

State media Xinhua on Friday quoted a “person-in-charge” of the central government’s liaison office in Hong Kong as expressing “strong anger and condemnation” over the two lawmakers’ “despicable words and actions”.

“They deliberately used wordings that insulted the nation and people during their oath taking,” Xinhua quoted the person as saying. “This has challenged the nation’s dignity and severely hurt the feelings of all Chinese people and overseas Chinese, including Hong Kong compatriots. We express strong anger and condemnation.”

The person added that the lawmakers – widely understood to be Sixtus “Baggio” Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching – had“incited public anger in society”.

Separately, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said he was “angry and disappointed” with the lawmakers who were rejected as their oaths seriously affected the relationship between mainlanders and Hongkongers.