中国人大释法 力阻港独议员进立法会
Beijing has banned legislators who advocate Hong Kong independence from serving on the territory’s council, in a move that democracy activists and lawyers say is highly damaging to the rule of law in the financial centre.
北京方面已禁止鼓吹香港独立的当选议员在香港立法会就职。民主活动人士和律师表示，此举可能会对这个金融中心的法治造成严重破坏。
The decision on Monday by the National People’s Congress, China’s rubber-stamp parliament, came after a tense stand-off and occasional clashes in Hong Kong on Sunday night between police and hundreds of protesters.
该决定是中国的“橡皮图章”国会——全国人大——的常委会在周一作出的。上周日晚，香港警方与数百名抗议者曾发生激烈对峙、爆发零星冲突。
Among the demonstrators were Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-Ching, the two Hong Kong legislators who sparked this latest crisis in Hong Kong’s relations with Beijing after they failed to take the standard oath of office and instead pledged allegiance to the “Hong Kong nation” last month.
导致香港与中央关系陷入最新这轮危机的香港当选议员梁颂恒（Baggio Leung，上图左）和游蕙祯（Yau Wai-Ching，上图右）也参加了示威。上个月，梁游二人未按照标准的誓言宣誓就职，而是发誓效忠“香港国”(Hong Kong nation)。
Mr Leung and Ms Yau were elected in September after record voter turnout in Hong Kong, buoyed by opposition to Beijing’s increasing interference in the semi-autonomous territory.
这二人是在今年9月当选为立法会议员的。此前，北京方面对这块半自治领土越来越多的干预引发的反对，令香港这次选举的投票率创下了纪录。
But the NPC ruled on Monday that “those who support Hong Kong independence do not qualify to run for and serve as members of the legislature” and should “be held legally responsible" for their actions.
不过，全国人大常委会周一裁定：“宣扬‘港独’的人不仅没有参选及担任立法会议员的资格，而且应依法追究其法律责任。”
It added that those who failed to take the oath of office “solemnly” should not be allowed to take it again, according to Xinhua, the state news agency.
据官方通讯社新华社报道，全国人大常委会还表示，未“庄重”宣读就职誓言的人不应被安排再次宣誓。
Li Fei, the deputy secretary-general of the NPC’s standing committee, also attacked Hong Kong’s legal system for failing to block the pro-independence lawmakers.
全国人大常委会副秘书长李飞还抨击香港法律系统未能封杀支持港独的议员。
“We can see from this incident that legal procedures are currently not strictly followed and we urge the Hong Kong judicial system to improve and perfect its current practices,” he said.
李飞表示从这起事件中可以看出香港目前并未严格遵循相应的法律程序，他敦促香港司法系统改进和完善现有的司法实践。
The ruling, which is the fifth time Beijing has interpreted Hong Kong’s mini-constitution or Basic Law since the territory was handed back from British control in 1997, comes after the Hong Kong government launched a judicial review to prevent Mr Leung and Ms Yau from retaking their oath.
这次释法是1997年香港主权移交以来北京方面第五次对《基本法》作出解释。此前，香港政府曾发起司法覆核，欲阻止梁游二人再次宣誓。
The Chinese government is vehemently opposed to separatism and has said it is determined to prevent supporters of Hong Kong independence from gaining a foothold in the legislature, claiming they represent a “grave threat to national sovereignty and security”.
中国政府坚决反对分裂，并表示决心阻止港独支持者在香港立法会中获得一席之地，称这些人“对国家主权、安全造成了严重威胁”。
To tackle the issue, Beijing said last week it would issue an interpretation of article 104 of the Basic Law, which states that all senior officials and legislators in Hong Kong must “swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China”.
为解决这一问题，北京方面上周表示会发布关于《基本法》第104条的法律解释。该条款申明，香港所有高级官员和立法会议员必须“宣誓拥护中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法，效忠中华人民共和国香港特别行政区”。
Opposition politicians and legal experts have warned that the interpretation will further damage the rule of law in Hong Kong and undermine the “high degree of autonomy” promised to the former British colony in 1997.
反对派政治人士和法律专家警告称，这一释法会进一步破坏香港法治，削弱1997年向这个英国前殖民地承诺的“高度自治”。
“This is direct interference in the rule of law in Hong Kong,” said Kacey Wong, a visual artist and one of hundreds facing off against riot police near the Chinese government’s liaison office in Hong Kong on Sunday night. “We must fight this.”
“这是对香港法治的直接干涉，”视觉艺术家黄国才(Kacey Wong)说。黄国才是上周日晚在中央人民政府驻香港特别行政区联络办公室附近与防暴警察对峙的数百人中的一个，他表示：“我们必须与之斗争。”
Hong Kong’s Bar Association, which represents barristers, said last week that the interpretation by the NPC would cause “irreparable harm” to Hong Kong by undermining confidence in the territory’s legal independence and autonomy.
代表律师的香港大律师公会(Hong Kong Bar Association)上周表示，全国人大常委会此次如果释法，会削弱人们对香港司法独立和自治的信心，对香港造成不可挽回的伤害。
