Hong Kong Democrat Leader: Gov't Has Two Choices

HONG KONG -- Police and pro-democracy protestors clashed overnight in Hong Kong in the worst violence since demonstrations began two weeks ago.
   
Police used pepper spray and batons against the demonstrators, who want the government to get serious about democratic reforms.

The demonstrations regained momentum after the government cancelled talks with the protest leaders. Officials blamed student leaders for threatening to escalate demonstrations if their demands were not met.
           
In one rally this week, Occupy Central movement organizers -- including 18-year-old student leader Joshua Wong -- renewed calls for the Hong Kong chief executive to resign. They want a leader who will be a democratic voice for Hong Kong in Beijing.

Meanwhile, Martin Lee, Hong Kong's "father of democracy," denounced rules allowing Beijing to choose chief executive candidates for the 2017 election.

"Beijing will decide which two or three candidates we are going to have and they will effectively be able to pick them for us. It is the chief executive's duty to represent the aspirations of Hong Kong and not be Beijing's puppet all the way. He should be able to say to Beijing, 'You promised us democracy and why are you changing it?'" Lee, chairman of the Democratic Party, said.

CBN News' Lucille Talusan recently spoke with student leader Joshua Wong about the Occupy Central protests. She shared the details of that interview below:

Seventy percent of the protesters are students who continue to camp out in the streets. That's disrupting the daily affairs of the citizens here and is dealing a heavy blow to Hong Kong's economy and tourism industry.

Numerous roads in Hong Kong's central financial district remain closed. After more than two weeks of protests, businesses have been drastically paralyzed.

Meanwhile, concerns are being raised on how the standoff between the government and the Occupy Central movement is going to end. But one thing is certain: the protesters are not giving up their fight for true democracy.  

Sociology professor Kin-Man Chan describes the students as determined and committed to their cause.

"I am very proud of the students in the way they respond. When police attacked them with tear gas, no one left, no one fought back. They are non-violent and they are here -- they study," he said.

While most of the protest leaders are Christians, the president of the Chinese Methodist Churches says that instead of taking sides, the Church is providing spiritual guidance to the people.

"Economic is important to Hong Kong, but other values are also important -- not only asking true universal suffrage, but practicing true and good values of peace, love and justice. From a Christian point of view, this is good," Rev. Yuen Tin-Yau said.

So, how and when will this conflict end? Lee says Hong Kong has two options.

"This is the duty of the Hong Kong government. The option is to either clear this place by force -- which is a stupid ending because the whole world is watching -- or, the other way is for the Hong Kong government to talk to students and take one step forward, " he said.

Kin-Man Chan suggests a Christian response will have a positive effect. 

"I guess as long as we remain peaceful, as long as our motivation is love to the community, God will bless us. God will bless Hong Kong," Chan said.