A Hong Kong court has disqualified four pro-democracy lawmakers for failing to sincerely take the oath of office, a huge blow to the city’s opposition. The four lawmakers – Nathan Law, Lau Siu-lai, Edward Yiu and “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung – all modified their oaths of allegiance to China during a swearing-in ceremony in October 2016. Their disqualifications mean the pro-democracy camp has lost its veto power over major legislation, one of the most powerful tools in a parliament stacked with pro-establishment legislators. The verdict is sure to have a chilling effect on political speech among those agitating for greater democracy, discouraging open challenges to the Chinese government.
