Pro-democracy lawmakers resign in Hong Kong's 'darkest day ... so far'

"Today," said pro-democracy legislator Fernando Cheung, "is definitely the darkest day in Hong Kong so far."

Cheung is among 15 lawmakers who announced they'll resign en masse on Thursday to protest the disqualification of four fellow pro-democracy legislators.

China earlier Wednesday passed a resolution saying any lawmaker supporting Hong Kong's independence or threatening national security should be disqualified, leading to the dismissal of four Hong Kong legislators.

White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien on Wednesday criticized China over the ouster of opposition leaders in Hong Kong and raised the specter of additional sanctions.

"Beijing's recent actions disqualifying pro-democracy legislators from Hong Kong's Legislative Council leave no doubt that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has flagrantly violated its international commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and its promises to the people of Hong Kong, including those under the Basic Law," O'Brien said in a statement.

The Trump administration has long been watchful of the situation in Hong Kong, where Beijing has clamped down on pro-democracy protesters and lawmakers, alarming human rights groups.

Hong Kong's pro-democracy lawmakers said Wednesday they would all quit in protest at the ousting of four of their colleagues who were judged a threat to national security by authoritarian Beijing.

The resignations will reduce the semi-autonomous city's once-feisty legislature to a gathering of Chinese central government loyalists, effectively ending pluralism in the chamber.

Source: https://thehill.com/policy/international/525593-trump-national-security-adviser-slams-china-over-ouster-of-pro-democracy

Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/pro-democracy-lawmakers-resign-hong-kongs-darkest/story?id=74146924

Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2017947/all-hong-kong-pro-democracy-lawmakers-to-resign-as-china-crushes-opposition

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