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Hong Kong government backs out of talks; students vow new protests Hong Kong government backs out of talks; students vow renewed protests
(about 3 hours later)
HONG KONG – The government in Hong Kong backed out of talks with students leading pro-democracy protests Thursday, saying it was not prepared to discuss their basic demand for democracy, and warning that the “illegal” occupation of the streets must end before meaningful negotiations could begin.HONG KONG – The government in Hong Kong backed out of talks with students leading pro-democracy protests Thursday, saying it was not prepared to discuss their basic demand for democracy, and warning that the “illegal” occupation of the streets must end before meaningful negotiations could begin.
The announcement set the stage for further confrontation between protesters and the government here, and could breathe new life into street protests that had been steadily dwindling this week. Student leaders immediately responded by calling people to come back onto the streets to put fresh pressure on the government. The announcement set the stage for further confrontation between protesters and the government here, and could breathe new life into street protests that had been steadily dwindling this week. Student leaders immediately responded by calling people to come back onto the streets on Friday evening to put fresh pressure on the government, and shortly after the government's announcement, several thousand people gathered at the main protest site to listen to student leaders vow to continue the struggle.
Earlier, protest leaders had vowed to continue their sit-in until the government came up with a decent response to their demands, and vowed to call supporters back to the streets Friday during the planned first round of talks to keep up the pressure. Earlier, protest leaders had vowed to continue their sit-in until the government came up with a decent response to their demands, and to call supporters back to the streets Friday during the planned first round of talks to keep up the pressure.
That threat was unacceptable, according to Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, the number two official in the territory. “I am afraid that is making people’s daily lives into a bargaining chip for the meeting,” she told a news conference. “We cannot accept the linking of illegal activities to whether or not to talk.”That threat was unacceptable, according to Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, the number two official in the territory. “I am afraid that is making people’s daily lives into a bargaining chip for the meeting,” she told a news conference. “We cannot accept the linking of illegal activities to whether or not to talk.”
But perhaps the biggest sticking point is her demand that students not contest the Chinese Communist Party’s ruling in August setting out its interpretation of Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law, and detailing the rules that would govern the election of the territory’s next chief executive in 2017. Those rules effectively gave Beijing and its loyalists in Hong Kong the power to choose who stands in those elections. Protesters want an open up the nominating process, and are also demanding the resignation of current Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. But perhaps the biggest sticking point is her demand that students not contest the Chinese Communist Party’s ruling in August setting out its interpretation of Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law, and detailing the rules that would govern the election of the territory’s next chief executive in 2017. Those rules effectively gave Beijing and its loyalists in Hong Kong the power to choose who stands in those elections. Critics say Beijing's interpretation of the Basic Law was unnecessarily restrictive and counter to a clause that promised that the nominating committee would be "broadly representative," and that the election would be carried out "according to democratic procedures."
Protesters want to open up the nominating process, and are also demanding the resignation of current Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.
“We have stated again and again that political reform has to be under the Basic Law framework and the recent explanation made by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee,” Lam said.“We have stated again and again that political reform has to be under the Basic Law framework and the recent explanation made by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee,” Lam said.
She said protest leaders had failed to listen to “rational voices” urging them to end their campaign of civil disobedience, adding that the “illegal occupation of the streets must end.”She said protest leaders had failed to listen to “rational voices” urging them to end their campaign of civil disobedience, adding that the “illegal occupation of the streets must end.”
“We think that the foundation of the talks has been shaken and we could not have a constructive meeting tomorrow.”“We think that the foundation of the talks has been shaken and we could not have a constructive meeting tomorrow.”
Student leaders accused the government of backing out of the talks because the number of people attending was dwindling, and urged people to return to the peaceful occupation. "I feel like the government is saying that if there are fewer people on the streets, they can cancel the meeting," said Alex Chow, head of the Hong Kong Federation of Students. “Students urge people who took part in the civil disobedience to go out on the streets again to occupy."Student leaders accused the government of backing out of the talks because the number of people attending was dwindling, and urged people to return to the peaceful occupation. "I feel like the government is saying that if there are fewer people on the streets, they can cancel the meeting," said Alex Chow, head of the Hong Kong Federation of Students. “Students urge people who took part in the civil disobedience to go out on the streets again to occupy."
Chow rebuffed the government's suggestions that the students were being irrational or unrealistic in their demands, while accusing the government of being insincere about the dialogue all along, after having failed to even find a venue for Friday's planned talks.Chow rebuffed the government's suggestions that the students were being irrational or unrealistic in their demands, while accusing the government of being insincere about the dialogue all along, after having failed to even find a venue for Friday's planned talks.
"We are not asking the government to respond to us by solving all the problems at once," he said. "They could give some instructions or administrative work to give a blueprint of how all the constitutional reform problems could be settled, but right up to this moment the government has still not given us a concrete proposal to solve the problem.""We are not asking the government to respond to us by solving all the problems at once," he said. "They could give some instructions or administrative work to give a blueprint of how all the constitutional reform problems could be settled, but right up to this moment the government has still not given us a concrete proposal to solve the problem."
Observers said that by failing to take popular discontent seriously, the government had given the students a new rallying cry — just as the police firing tear gas on the protesters last week energized the entire movement.Observers said that by failing to take popular discontent seriously, the government had given the students a new rallying cry — just as the police firing tear gas on the protesters last week energized the entire movement.
"It's right up there with the gassing," said Michael Davis, a law professor at Hong Kong University. "I think it's a big blunder again. It was a major move to say they were going to talk to the students — it made people think that maybe there was a little sincerity. But pulling the plug like they did — I am outraged, so I imagine other people must be." "I think it's a big blunder again," said Michael Davis, a law professor at Hong Kong University. "It was a major move to say they were going to talk to the students — it made people think that maybe there was a little sincerity. But pulling the plug like they did — I am outraged, so I imagine other people must be."
Sebastian Veg, director of the French Centre for Research on Contemporary China, called the government's decision "terribly irresponsible."Sebastian Veg, director of the French Centre for Research on Contemporary China, called the government's decision "terribly irresponsible."
"I believe there are a range of technical compromises that can be reached between the students and the government, but the government has consistently demonstrated ill will in simply acknowledging the students' demands," he said."I believe there are a range of technical compromises that can be reached between the students and the government, but the government has consistently demonstrated ill will in simply acknowledging the students' demands," he said.
But he said he thinks that the students needed to devise a new strategy, given the frustration in some quarters with the disruptions to daily life the protests had caused — such as retreating to their campuses for a period and setting an ultimatum for the government to come up with some meaningful proposals.But he said he thinks that the students needed to devise a new strategy, given the frustration in some quarters with the disruptions to daily life the protests had caused — such as retreating to their campuses for a period and setting an ultimatum for the government to come up with some meaningful proposals.
"This would highlight the moral bankruptcy of this embattled government and preserve the students' moral high ground," he said. "When the government acts like children, the students are called upon to act like the only adults in the room — as they have done so far.""This would highlight the moral bankruptcy of this embattled government and preserve the students' moral high ground," he said. "When the government acts like children, the students are called upon to act like the only adults in the room — as they have done so far."
Earlier, 17-year-old student leader Joshua Wong had urged supporters to bring sleeping bags to the main protest site Friday, to put pressure on the government during the planned talks. The atmosphere at the main protest venue — now nicknamed “Umbrella Square” by protest leaders — was very relaxed around midnight Thursday, with schoolchildren getting help with their homework, an artist making yellow umbrella shapes out of balloons, a few people singing or doing yoga, some sleeping and many, like 25-year-old twins Hattie and Wendy Lam, just sitting around chatting with friends.
"Its very chilled," said Hattie, 25, a quantity surveyor. "Every day I see something new here.”
The twin sisters called the government's decision to call off the talks "lame" and "cowardly," and ultimately unwise. "For sure people will get tired, but if the government keeps doing things like this, it will provoke more people to come out," said Wendy, an account executive for a company selling watches.
The iconic image of the protest has been students using umbrellas to defend themselves against police using pepper spray.
Responding to criticism that the prolonged sit-in has disrupted the city and was losing the movement popular support, leaders said students were fanning out through the city trying to explain to people they had to accept some short-term disruption to traffic in order to achieve their long-term goal of democracy. Some people have also suggested that protesters retreat from some of the three main protest sites to minimize disruptions, but protest leaders said this was not possible at this point.Responding to criticism that the prolonged sit-in has disrupted the city and was losing the movement popular support, leaders said students were fanning out through the city trying to explain to people they had to accept some short-term disruption to traffic in order to achieve their long-term goal of democracy. Some people have also suggested that protesters retreat from some of the three main protest sites to minimize disruptions, but protest leaders said this was not possible at this point.
“We understand there are different voices urging us to retreat from a particular place,” said Chow. "But we would say the government has to give some reason for those occupiers to retreat. Without any concrete things given by government, it is totally impossible to persuade anyone to retreat from any places.”“We understand there are different voices urging us to retreat from a particular place,” said Chow. "But we would say the government has to give some reason for those occupiers to retreat. Without any concrete things given by government, it is totally impossible to persuade anyone to retreat from any places.”