HONG KONG - A Hong Kong court on Tuesday ruled to disqualify two pro-independence lawmakers from parliament, a week after Beijing said it would not allow the pair to be sworn into office as fears grow of the city's liberties coming under threat. "Mr. Leung and Ms Yau have been disqualified from assuming and have vacated the office of a member of the Legislative Council," judge Thomas Au said in a written judgement. Ahead of the court ruling, the city's leader called for zero-tolerance against activists pushing for independence from China. "Members of the Hong Kong independence (movement) cannot appear in the political system," Leung said. Hong Kong was handed back to China by Britain in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" deal which protects its freedoms for 50 years, but there are growing concerns those liberties are disappearing.

Source: Bangkok Post November 15, 2016 08:49 UTC