Beijing and the Hong Kong government spread smear campaign and threats against Occupy
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - A movement that is manipulated by "foreign forces"; that is "illegal"; and increasingly "violent"; a movement which seeks secession, even Hong Kong's "independence" from China. This is the image that the Chinese media and the governor of Hong Kong, Leung Chun-ying, are trying to paint of the peaceful Occupy movement, which has been staging a sit-in in the main arteries of the central district and Mong Kok.
The protest targeting the financial and commercial hub followed Beijing's ruling that ruled out full democracy in the territory, allowing everyone to vote for a new governor in 2017, but keeping control of the choice of candidates for the post.
The Occupy movement is
still calling for the decision to be overturned and a path for dialogue,
but the Hong Kong government,
which in only willing to meet part of the movement (the Student Federation) has said that the Beijing decision is irrevocable.
To weaken the youth movement and the
pro-democracy activists who throng the
streets, the police today warned parents against sending
their children to occupy Mong Kok, giving rise
to the fear of further violent attacks on these defenseless and peaceful students.
Two days ago, the police attacked thousands of students
in Mong Kok,
arresting 26; a
week ago, mafia groups have
beaten and harassed protesters, while the police looked on.
Yesterday, for the first time, the People's Daily, the
official organ of the Chinese Communist Party,
accused the Occupy movement of seeking independence for Hong Kong (actually it
had never be mentioned). In a commentary, it is
stated that the organizers of the giant
sit-in want "self-determination" and even "independence."
For his part, in an interview yesterday,
Leung, accused the Occupy movement of having gotten "out of control" and "causing
trouble", but mostly of being manipulated by "foreign
forces from different nations and
parts of the world ". And he vowed that the clearance
of the streets is only "a
question of time."
The emphasis on independence and secession, as well as the
accusation of being an instrument in the hands of foreign forces could be
preparing an apparent legal basis for a military intervention
of the Chinese army.
Some Democratic politicians have accused Leung of deliberately lying: the majority of protesters are peaceful and if
there were clashes - like two days ago - this
is due to police intervention
in their attempts to evict the occupation.
Meanwhile, government and students are preparing for the meeting scheduled for tomorrow from 6 to 8 pm. The
meeting will also be broadcast
live on TV. Members of Occupy Central and
Scholarism, one of the organizers
of the sit-in -
but not invited
by the government - will be able to follow the dialogue from a room close to that meeting.
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