Former Hong Kong chief Tung Chee-hwa urges protesters to go home

World Today

Hong Kong’s first chief executive Tung Chee-hwa has publicly called on protesters to end demonstrations and go home. Tung said the protests have damaged the economy, and said it was not how Hong Kong would achieve democracy. CCTV America’s Zhu Dan reports.

Tung led Hong Kong’s first government after the handover in 1997. He said he has witnessed changes in the city and also lived overseas for many years. He also said Hong Kong is already a very democratic society.

“What you want is public nomination to achieve democracy. But my young friends, do you know that many democratic countries in the West don’t have public nominations at all? There is no single international standard on democracy,” Tung said. “Without public nomination, our Hong Kong can achieve full democracy as well, and that is through the universal suffrage that will take place in 2017.”

Tung added local hotel bookings plunged 20-30 percent while overall credit card spending dropped by 20-30 percent.

He also said that there was evidence of foreign involvement in the protests.

“Papers and studies from overseas which have been sent around the world also highlight how much foreign involvement there has been in Hong Kong. This is a cause for concern,” he said.

Tung rejected rumors of Mainland China’s central government using military force to disperse the protests, saying it was up to the Hong Kong police to handle the issue.

Finally, Tung said he was glad that student leaders and government officials started talks on Tuesday, and said he hoped the dialogue would continue.


Protestors remain in Hong Kong’s Mong Kok despite injunction to vacate

The Hong Kong High Court’s temporary injunction order that bars protesters from occupying Mong Kok expired on Friday. Little progress has been made in getting traffic cleared, as protesters are defying the order and continue to occupy the streets. CCTV America’s Han Peng reports.

Hong Kong District Councilor Maggie Chan Man-ki appeared in Mong Kok and read the injunction order out loud to the crowd of protestors amidst a downpour of rain. She stressed that they were breaking the law.

As she read the injunction without the protection of an umbrella, the piece of paper it was printed on broke apart in her hands, and protestors cheered, viewing it as a sign of victory.

Man-ki tried again with a plastic folder covering a new piece of paper and said that the protesters who remained or attempted to remove barricades would be held in contempt of court.

Both supporters of the protest and their opponents have rallied huge crowds and scuffles have taken place. Police have even had to intervene.

There were also reports that protesters in Mong Kok were hit with bags containing feces and oil thrown from tall buildings nearby.

The High Court is now discussing whether to extend the expired order, while also calling for protesters to evacuate.