Hong Kong leader accuses external forces of fuelling protests

Hong Kong chief executive C.Y. Leung has accused external forces of supporting the Occupy Central movement, which has been carrying out massive pro-democracy protests for more than three weeks.

Leung Sunday said the movement was "not entirely a domestic movement, as external forces are involved", although he declined to give details or name the countries he thought were responsible.

The Chinese government has also claimed on repeated occasions that "anti-China forces" were instigating the demonstrations and warned against foreign intrusion in what it considers to be an internal matter.

Leung's accusations were strongly condemned by pro-democratic activists and the movement's leaders.

Alex Chow, secretary general of the Federation of Students, one of the organisations leading the protests, called Leung "irresponsible" for making accusations of that magnitude without providing evidence just before the first set of talks between the administration and the demonstrators is to take place.

On Tuesday, representatives from the government and the protestors will meet face-to-face to negotiate electoral reform in Hong Kong that the government hopes will bring to an end an almost month-long occupation of several streets.

Though the number of protesters has declined in the last week, there have been outbreaks of violence in the areas still occupied by the demonstrators.

The Mong Kok district in the Kowloon peninsula witnessed the worst clashes between the police and the protestors over the weekend.

Leung also reiterated his commitment to restore law and order in Hong Kong as soon as possible.

He added that the protests had "gone out of control even for the people who started it. They cannot end the movement, which is a major concern".

"The Hong Kong government and police have exercised extreme tolerance and patience. That is what we have done and what we will continue to do," he said when questioned on allegations of excessive use of force by the police to halt the clashes.

--IANS/EFE

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