On Wednesday, Hong Kong disqualifies four pro-democracy lawmakers of their seats Wednesday, immediately after China gave the city the power to disqualify politicians deemed a threat to national security.
The ousting comes after 19 pro-democracy lawmakers in the semi-autonomous city’s legislature threatened Monday to resign en masse if their colleagues were disqualified.
Hong Kong’s government said the four would lose their qualification as legislators immediately.
The statement came after The National People’s Congress Standing Committee one of China’s top lawmaking committees ruled that Hong Kong could remove any legislator deemed a threat to national security without going through the courts.
Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam said the disqualifications were constitutional, legal, reasonable and necessary.
