Hong Kong protests: Radical lawmakers say shall seek to block government policies

Pro-democracy lawmaker Albert Chan shouts while holding an electoral reforms consultation report and a plastic hammer featuring a portrait of Hong Kong Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, during a meeting with Lam on proposing electoral reforms at the Legisl
Pro-democracy lawmaker Albert Chan shouts while holding an electoral reforms consultation report and a plastic hammer featuring a portrait of Hong Kong Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, during a meeting with Lam on proposing electoral reforms at the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on July 15, 2014. Two Hong Kong lawmakers belonging to the radical group People Power urged all 27 opposition legislators to "paralyse" the government's operation when parliament resumes meetings this week, media reports said. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

HONG KONG - Two Hong Kong lawmakers belonging to the radical group People Power urged all 27 opposition legislators to "paralyse" the government's operation when parliament resumes meetings this week, media reports said.

One of them, Mr Raymond Chan, was quoted by Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) as saying he and his colleague Albert Chan would block government policies in different meetings of the Legislative Council. Mr Chan urged the other 25 pan-democrat lawmakers to filibuster on all budgets and bills, and to deny pro-establishment lawmakers' membership in two key committees dealing with manpower and public works, where the opposition coalition hold a majority, South China Morning Post said.

Mr Chan said they would also call for an independent inquiry into the police's use of tear gas against unarmed protesters of the Occupy Central civil disobedience movement last weekend, and whether officers had stood by when alleged triad members tried to disrupt the sit-ins, RTHK reported.

People Power party chairwoman Erica Yuen Mi Ming meanwhile urged more protesters to occupy Queensway, which connects Wan Chai to the business district of Central, as it is the "most at risk of a (possible) police clearance tonight", the Post reported.

"The government has already announced that [classes] will resume in Central and Wan Chai, which means they are confident Queensway will be cleared by tomorrow morning," Ms Yuen was quoted by the Post as saying. But "all will be safe if there are plenty of people (on the road tonight)", she added.

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