Legco debate on joint rail checkpoint adjourned after meeting descends into chaos

Opposition lawmakers sought to delay decision on controversial plans for co-location arrangement

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Ted Hui Chi-fung (centre) and other pan-democrat members attend the Legislative Council meeting on the co-location motion. Photo: David Wong

Published: 10:45pm, 2 Nov 2017Updated: 12:39am, 3 Nov 2017

The Legislative Council debate to approve a controversial joint checkpoint on the Hong Kong side for the cross-border railway to Guangzhou descended into all-too-familiar scenes of chaos on Thursday, as opposition lawmakers resorted to new tactics to delay the decision.

With that, they quashed Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s hopes of having the non-binding motion approved by this week, so the government could press ahead with the so-called “co-location” arrangement, with the high-speed rail link expected to open late next year.

The pan-democrats’ filibustering earned a rebuke from Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung, who described the adjournment of the debate as “regrettable” and “deeply disappointing” as he accused them of abusing the rules of procedure.

He said the government would table the motion again on November 15 at the earliest, as Legco meetings next week were already expected to debate Lam’s policy address.

Lawmaker Priscilla Leung Mei-fun attended the meeting. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Lam had earlier warned that the government might go ahead with a “three-step process” to adopt co-location without securing support Legco’s support in advance.

“It will depend on the specific work,” Yuen said when he was asked if the government would push on with the process before November 15.