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Former HK chief executive calls for end of occupation

(Xinhua)    20:14, October 24, 2014
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Tung Chee-hwa, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Hong Kong's former Chief Executive, speaks at a press conference in Hong Kong, South China, Oct. 24, 2014. At the press conference on Friday, Tung called on protesters to end the occupation. (Xinhua/Qin Qing)

HONG KONG, Oct. 24 -- The Occupy Central movement will tear Hong Hong's community apart and severely affect the city's economy and livelihood, Hong Kong's former Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa said here on Friday, calling on protesters to end the occupation.

Tung, who is also vice-chairman of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks at a press conference held in the former chief executive's official mansion.

Tung expressed concern over the harm caused by the nearly month- long protests over constitutional development. "The occupation is approaching one month and now it's time to end it," he said, adding that he worried the so-called civil disobedience movement was "a little bit out of control."

"In civilized societies, conflicts are resolved through dialogue, not in streets. Students should not use the occupation as bargaining chips for negotiation with the government," Tung said.

Several vital districts of Hong Kong has been paralyzed for nearly a month by protesters discontent with the framework set by the National People's Congress Standing Committee's (NPCSC) on electing the region's next leader through universal suffrage.

Tung said he understands the students' demands for democracy, however, the idea of civil nomination, which violates the Basic Law and the decision made by the NPCSC, cannot be put into practice.

Speaking of the harm caused by the protest, Tung said both the bookings at local hotels and the credit-card spending had plunged by 20 to 30 percent in recent weeks.

"The negative impact of the Occupy Central will go beyond our imagination," he said.

Tung said the universal suffrage for the chief executive election in 2017 is not the end but the beginning of the constitutional development, adding that the rule of law is the cornerstone of Hong Kong's success.

Moreover, Tung said the protests had unavoidably adversely affected the relationship between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, while Hong Kong's prosperity cannot be achieved without the back of the central government.

Hong Kong government officials held the first formal talks on Tuesday with students who have been participating in the Occupy Central movement since Sept. 28.

HK government promised that the appeals made by students will be directly reported to the central authorities, and the government also considered how to submit a report to the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council to express the opinions collected after the top legislature's decision on Aug. 31 from all circles in the region on Hong Kong's constitutional development.

Tung said he was glad the two sides started the talk and hope the dialogue would continue.

More scuffles broke out on last Friday night and early Saturday morning in Mong Kok. Protesters were in an attempt to reclaim the roads following the blitz clearing operation launched by the police before dawn on last Friday, when most of the tents, canopies, barricades set up by protesters that had been blocking main roads were removed.

Chief Superintendent of Police Public Relations Branch, Hui Chun-tak said Friday afternoon that confrontations and crime cases occur everyday in the illegally occupied areas in Mong Kok.

Hui said that the current situation no-longer matches with the "non-violent" principle as the protesters have claimed earlier. Radical protesters and troublemakers were amongst those remaining in the unlawful assembly.

"They stirred up the emotions of the persons at the scene. They provoked police officers and charged our cordon lines to create chaos. In comparison with other illegally occupied areas, the situations in Mong Kok are actually more chaotic and dangerous," he said.

The Supreme Court of Hong Kong on Monday granted injunctions requiring protesters to clear the roads illegally occupied and forbidding them from hindering the removal of obstacles from the areas, a move following groups of minibus and taxi operators filed for an injunction demanding the reopening of the paralyzed traffic.

Hui urged the general public not to go to the affected areas in Mong Kok and not to incite others to further obstruct any other roads.

"Should there be any troublemakers carrying out any violent behavior or charge Police, we, with no other alternatives, will use minimum force to maintain law and order and ensure public safety," he said.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad said here Friday that Occupy Central Movement is not democracy.

"If you fight for democracy you must persuade the majority of people to support you, then you can call it a democracy process," Mahathir said after giving a speech entitled "Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Sino-American geopolitics."

"When you take to the streets but you are a very small number by comparison to the population, and you force the majority to accept your views, it is not democracy," he said.

"I think if they (occupy protesters) want to do something, they have to accept other means."

Mahathir said confrontation and violence can not solve the problem because eventually other people will be against the protesters whose actions undermine the economy and affect other people's lives.

According to Hong Kong's Basic Law and the top legislature's decisions, more than 5 million Hong Kong voters could have a say to who will become the chief executive in 2017 through the "one man, one vote" election, which had never been realized under the British colonial rule.

(Editor:Kong Defang、Bianji)
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