THERE WAS NO DEMOCRACY IN HONGKONG DURING THE BRITISH OCCUPATION OF HONGKONG. NOW, THE BRITISH AND AMERICANS THRU THEIR M.I.6 AND CIA, WANT TO DETACH HONGKONG AGAIN FROM CHINA AND MAKE HONGKONG AGAIN A COLONY OF THE WEST. ‘Foreign forces’ at work in protests — HK leader HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s embattled leader said “foreign forces” were at work in the pro-democracy movement that has paralyzed parts of the city, as demonstrators accused police of using excessive violence during ugly clashes. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said “external forces” from other countries had been encouraging the mass sit-ins that have blocked major thoroughfares for three weeks, but refused to identify them. “I shall not go into details, but this is not entirely a domestic movement,” he said in a television interview on Sunday night. Chinese state media have repeatedly alleged that “anti-China forces” such as the United States are manipulating the protesters, and Beijing has warned against foreign meddling in what it says is an internal affair. The rallies come as one of the biggest challenges to Beijing’s authority since the Tiananmen pro-democracy protests of 1989. Leung, described by demonstrators as a pro-Beijing stooge and facing calls for his resignation, said protests had got “out of hand,” and called for “a peaceful and a meaningful end to this problem.” He spoke as protest leaders blasted Hong Kong’s police force over violent clashes that broke out in the Mongkok district early Sunday, with 20 people injured as officers struck surging crowds with batons. Pro-democracy leaders, however, angrily denied claims by the city’s chief executive that more than three weeks of mass rallies in the Asian financial hub are being orchestrated by “external forces.” The claims sparked ridicule from democracy leaders, who insist their movement is fueled by local demands for greater democratic freedoms and growing discontent at increased inequality. In a sarcastic post on his Facebook page Monday, teenage student leader Joshua Wong said: “My links with foreign countries are limited to my Korean cellphone, my American computer and my Japanese Gundam (an animated series featuring robots). And of course, all of these are ‘Made in China.’” Beijing has offered Hong Kongers the chance to vote for their next leader in 2017 but only those vetted by a loyalist committee will be allowed to stand — something protesters have labeled as “fake democracy.” Alex Chow, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, denied those claims and called on Leung to give concrete examples showing why he believed the protests were not locally inspired. “He clearly wants to attack the movement by labeling it a color revolution. But as a chief executive, who is accountable to the public, I hope he will produce evidence to back up such accusations,” he told reporters late Sunday. Talks between student protest leaders and government officials are still set to go ahead on Tuesday despite the clashes. But with little common ground, there are slim hopes of a breakthrough. China insists that candidates for the 2017 vote for Hong Kong’s leader must be approved by a pro-Beijing committee — a condition which the protesters dismiss as “fake democracy.” But Leung warned that Beijing has no intention of caving in to the protesters. He brought along a copy of Hong Kong’s mini-constitution to Sunday’s interview, saying there was nothing in it specifying the right for Hong Kongers to nominate their own candidates. Asked if he could rule out a violent crackdown on the demonstrators, he said: “The Hong Kong government and the police force have exercised extreme tolerance and patience. That’s what we have done and what we will continue to do.” But he also vowed to “restore law and order in Hong Kong as soon as possible.” Although the crowds have shrunk from their peak of tens of thousands earlier in the month, the protests continue to block major roads, with some residents growing increasingly frustrated by the disruption. Some protesters at the Mongkok camp donned hard hats and makeshift protective gear fashioned out of household items on Sunday in anticipation of further clashes with police. Posters stuck around the camp read: “Calm down. Don’t forget our original purpose.” Hong Kong’s police force traditionally pride themselves as being “Asia’s finest”, but their reputation has taken a battering since they used tear gas against the protesters on September 28, with images of the chaotic street battles beamed around the world. The latest surge in violence comes after video footage emerged last week showing plainclothes officers beating a handcuffed protester as he lay on the ground.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 07:09:14 +0000
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