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Hong Kong’s leader says government ready to talk to student protesters | Hong Kong’s leader says government ready to talk to student protesters |
(35 minutes later) | |
HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s leader said Thursday he is ready to start talks with pro-democracy activists as early as next week after police once again used pepper spray to clear protesters from a major road in the Asian financial center. | |
Embattled Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying told a news conference that the government had been negotiating with the student protesters through middlemen in the past few days. | |
“Over these past few days ... some middlemen were in touch with the Hong Kong Federation of Students, and we expressed our wish that the two sides can meet officially as early as possible,” Leung told reporters in Hong Kong, the Associated Press reported. | |
Leung’s announcement suggests a thaw in the three-week stand-off between Hong Kong’s government and the student protesters. Last week, the government called off planned talks with the protesters after the activists called on supporters to come back to the streets. | Leung’s announcement suggests a thaw in the three-week stand-off between Hong Kong’s government and the student protesters. Last week, the government called off planned talks with the protesters after the activists called on supporters to come back to the streets. |
Tensions between the two sides have ratcheted up over the past few days, as riot police with pepper spray and batons have moved to clear the demonstrators from the occupied streets of Asia's premiere financial center. | |
The mass demonstrations, which have clogged highways and encircled government buildings, are the biggest challenge to China’s authority over the former British colony of Hong Kong since China took control of Hong Kong in 1997. The protesters are demanding reforms on how Beijing vets Hong Kong candidates for elections as well as the resignation of Leung, the current leader. | |
Authorities launched an investigation on Wednesday into a television news video, which went viral on the Internet, that appeared to show police officers leading an activist around a dark corner, forcing the handcuffed man to the ground and repeatedly kicking him as he curled into a ball. | Authorities launched an investigation on Wednesday into a television news video, which went viral on the Internet, that appeared to show police officers leading an activist around a dark corner, forcing the handcuffed man to the ground and repeatedly kicking him as he curled into a ball. |
Outrage over the purported beating — following clashes between security forces and demonstrators — swiftly became a new rallying point for the protesters trying to remain on the streets, despite the increasing police crackdowns and a decline in numbers. | |
The TVB channel said the beating incident was filmed early Wednesday as police cleared a road tunnel near the main protest site. They arrested 45 protesters and used pepper spray on many others who refused to get out of the way. At least 10 protesters and five police officers were reported to have been injured in the clashes, the worst violence since police used tear gas on protesters more than two weeks ago. | |
But it was the video that dominated attention, provoking condemnation from protest leaders, pro-democracy legislators and human rights groups. It appeared to show seven police officers leading a protester away, before several of them kicked him as he lay on the ground for about four minutes. | But it was the video that dominated attention, provoking condemnation from protest leaders, pro-democracy legislators and human rights groups. It appeared to show seven police officers leading a protester away, before several of them kicked him as he lay on the ground for about four minutes. |
Several thousand people converged on the main protest site Wednesday evening to hear their leaders demand the arrest of the police officers and urge supporters to continue the struggle. | Several thousand people converged on the main protest site Wednesday evening to hear their leaders demand the arrest of the police officers and urge supporters to continue the struggle. |
The man in the video was identified as Ken Tsang Kin-chiu, , a social worker and member of the pro-democracy Civic Party. A photograph of Tsang was later released by activists, showing bruising around his face, neck and back. | |
Dennis Kwok, one of Tsang’s lawyers and a legislator from the Civic Party, said Tsang also bore several marks on his back consistent with beating by a police baton. | |
“To be fair, most of the police have behaved with restraint since the Occupy Central movement began, but yesterday really shattered the image of the police,” Kwok said. “There is no denying that police have been handling a very difficult situation, but what happened to Mr. Tsang has no justification.” | |
The British Broadcasting Corp. said its Web site was blocked in China, hours after the video began circulating online. | |
The Federation of Students called for the resignations of police commissioner Tsang Wai-hung and the officer in charge of Wednesday morning’s operation. | |
In a statement, the Hong Kong police said they were concerned by the video and would investigate in a “just and impartial manner.” Hong Kong’s secretary for security, Lai Tung-kwok, told a news conference the officers shown in the video would be temporarily removed from their positions. | In a statement, the Hong Kong police said they were concerned by the video and would investigate in a “just and impartial manner.” Hong Kong’s secretary for security, Lai Tung-kwok, told a news conference the officers shown in the video would be temporarily removed from their positions. |
In Beijing, the Communist Party mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, warned in a front-page commentary that democracy was “no excuse for turmoil” and that protesters’ attempts to force Leung to resign were “doomed to fail.” | In Beijing, the Communist Party mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, warned in a front-page commentary that democracy was “no excuse for turmoil” and that protesters’ attempts to force Leung to resign were “doomed to fail.” |
Daniela Deane contributed to this report from London. Kris Cheng Lok-chit contributed from Hong Kong. | Daniela Deane contributed to this report from London. Kris Cheng Lok-chit contributed from Hong Kong. |