Beijing, Hong Kong governments play waiting game in hope Occupy will run out of steam
After tear gas failed to dislodge the protesters, officials hope fatigue and public criticism will wear them down and force end to occupation
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 02 October, 2014, 3:37am
UPDATED : Thursday, 02 October, 2014, 9:23am
Gary Cheung, Amy Nip and Vivienne Chow
The Federation of Students had offered talks with Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor - if Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying (above) resigned first.
Both the Beijing and Hong Kong governments are pinning their hopes on the pro-democracy protests running out of steam due to fatigue and complaints from people inconvenienced by the demonstrations.
Sources close to both governments gave an indication of their thinking as uniformed police remained absent from affected areas such as Mong Kok and Causeway Bay. Few police have been seen near the protests since Monday, despite concerns about public order and further polarisation in the community.
The softy-softly approach has been in place since riot police were withdrawn after the use of 87 rounds of tear gas overnight on Sunday failed to break up demonstrations in Admiralty - and indeed prompted new protest zones to emerge.
Tsim Sha Tsui was the latest area affected, with a few dozen protesters blocking a section of Canton Road early yesterday, an area full of luxury goods stores popular with mainland tourists arriving for National Day.
A mainland researcher familiar with the central government's thinking said the best scenario would be for protesters to gradually pull out, worn down by fatigue and complaints from people fed up with the protests.
"Hongkongers should seriously ponder the impact on people's livelihoods and business operations if the protests are prolonged," the researcher said.
The response of Beijing's top man in Hong Kong, liaison office chief Zhang Xiaoming, added credence to the idea of a "wait-and-see" approach. Asked about the impact of the protest at a National Day reception, he said only: "The sun rises as usual."
A Hong Kong government source admitted there was little else the administration could do.
"We can't afford to adopt a high-handed approach to protesters again after the public outcry sparked by the use of tear gas on Sunday," the source said.
Meanwhile the prospects for dialogue between the government and protesters remain slim.
The Federation of Students had offered talks with Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor - if Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying resigned first. An authoritative government source yesterday rejected the idea, but said the administration retained an open mind on the possibility of talks at "appropriate venues".
Lester Shum, the federation's deputy secretary general, said talks with Lam or even Beijing officials were possible - if they faced protesters outside government headquarters.
"If Leung does not step down by today, we will escalate the protests by spreading the Occupy movement to premises of other government departments," Shum said.
But the authoritative government source rejected the idea of Leung going - even if he wanted to. "The chief executive will not resign, nor will the central government allow him to step down," the source said.
And, dismissing rumours of discord at the top, the source said the government was "highly united", adding: "It is out of the question that the chief secretary adopts a softer stance while the chief executive is tougher."
Meanwhile criticism of the protests from business leaders grew yesterday, as the week-long national holiday began.
Michael Li Hon-shing, executive director of the Federation of Hotel Owners, accused the students of "making Hong Kong collapse". He said bookings at some Wan Chai hotels had been cancelled, though the full impact had not yet been calculated.
"People started dumping eggs [on protesters] because they are growing impatient," he said, referring to incidents at the Causeway Bay protest zone.
Staff at the Fuk Fung Dispensary in the Mong Kok protest zone said business was slow.
"Of course [the protest] has affected business," one shop assistant said. "Rents are expensive here. We can't pay rent or salaries without business, right?"
Meanwhile Chinese University vice chancellor Professor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu spoke of his tears when he saw Sunday's crackdown on protesters.
"I call upon all to refrain from using force … I urge … dialogue between the government and our students," Sung wrote to students, staff and alumni.
