Occupy Central's leader says strategy fails, support wanes

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, September 3, 2014
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“占中”发起人:戴耀廷

Benny Tai Yiu-ting [File photo] 

Benny Tai Yiu-ting, one of the three co-founders of Occupy Central, said on Tuesday that the campaign's strategic aim to achieve concessions from China's central authorities on Hong Kong's chief executive election reform has failed.

China's National People's Congress(NPC) Standing Committee on Sunday passed a legislative decision, granting universal suffrage in selection of Hong Kong's chief executive from 2017 onward with two or three candidates nominated only by a broadly representative nominating committee.

The three co-founders of Occupy Central, also including Chan Kin-man and Chu Yiu-ming, have claimed that if the universal suffrage plan fail to meet the "international standards", such as civil nomination, they will mobilize residents to occupy the Central, Hong Kong's financial center.

Asked whether the campaign's strategic aim to make the central authorities give in on universal suffrage issues had failed, Tai said in an interview with Bloomberg TV in Hong Kong, "up to this point, we failed. What we planned is that we use the threat of the action to create the tension."

Tai said the uncompromising stance of the NPC indicates that the number of participants of the campaign may not match his anticipation, largely due to the pragmatic perspective of Hong Kong people.

Tai, who had previously said he was confident that at least 10, 000 protesters could be mobilized for the campaign, described the number as "possible" on Tuesday.

Chan Kin-man said there still could be thousands of participants to join Occupy Central.

Li Fei, deputy secretary general of the NPC Standing Committee, said on Monday that if the central authorities bow to some's threatening with illegal activities, it would only spark more and worse law-breaking behavior.

Li said if the Occupy Central happens, the central authorities believe the Hong Kong government and its well-trained police forces are fully capable of handling it.

Hong Kong police said it arrested 22 people during protests on Monday near the central officials' hotel and a conference hall where Li Fei explained the NPC decision to representatives from all walks of social life in Hong Kong.

Tai refused to elaborate on the exact date and other details of the campaign's planning, noting that the organizers would choose a date to minimize possible damage to the international financial center.

Preparing for jail term, Tai said Occupy Central plans to proceed with its protest, however, they would not expect that the movement will be able to change the "political reality".

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