China media: 'Subsiding' Hong Kong protest

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-29517100

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Chinese papers see the dwindling number of protesters as a win for the "mainstream society" in Hong Kong.

Representatives from Hong Kong's Occupy Central movement have agreed to hold formal talks with the government.

Pro-democracy activists are protesting at China's plans to vet candidates when Hong Kong holds elections in 2017, demanding that Beijing allow a fully free vote for the territory's leader.

As the protests entered their second week, crowds began to die down and civil servants returned to work on Monday.

State-run media outlets have been publishing reports and commentaries noting the "withdrawal" of the crowds and economic repercussions of the protest.

Noting that the protest has subsided, an article in the People's Daily website "applauds" the "mainstream opinion" and "unity of the people" for "conquering the evil forces".

"Those few clowns calling for the occupation of Central (business district) are alienated from the mainstream views of Hong Kong… The dwindling of the movement tells us that the mainstream opinion in the city tilts towards loving the country and Hong Kong, with their hearts closely bonded with the motherland," it says.

The paper says "under the strong current of the mainstream views, the illegal movement is heading for a complete failure,", adding that the 2017 election will "gain victory".

The China Central Television stresses that "unhappiness against the protest is growing" and "the forces of the illegal Occupy Central continue to be weakened".

"Many protesters are becoming unhappy with the organisers. Internal disagreements are appearing over the decision of whether to continue with the protest, as the students have realised that voices against the movement are getting stronger," notes the reporter.

Without showing any footage of the massive street protest, the channel ran views of the quiet streets in Hong Kong with most shops shut down and students wearing uniform returning to schools in an orderly manner.

'Being used'

Echoing similar views, a commentator tells the Shenzhen Satellite TV that the Occupy campaign has "disgusted" the people of Hong Kong.

"This movement has seriously disrupted the social order, causing huge economic losses. Many Hong Kong residents have shown disapproval of the protest…The longer the campaign is, the level of disgust and reaction against the campaign will be stronger," he tells the TV network.

The analyst adds that "many students, who were born after the handover of Hong Kong and had no idea how life was under the British colonial rule, regret being used by the campaigners".

Elsewhere, Qiushi, an influential Communist Party magazine, publishes an article warning about the "disasters" that Western-style democracy may bring.

Without referring to the Occupy Central protest, the commentary written by researchers from Academy of Military Sciences, says that Western-style democracy "has no universality" and is "loaded with problems".

"There are natural internal defects in the western-style democracy… blindly copying it will only lead to disasters," it says, proposing the "strengthening of confidence" over China's political system.

"All the kind-hearted people must wake up from their blind dream of pursuing the Western-style democracy and see its real face. They also need to clearly understand the features and huge advantage of the Chinese characteristic socialist democracy political system," suggests the article.

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