Hong Kong students to go to Beijing demanding free polls

Hong Kong, Nov 14 (IANS/EFE) A three-man delegation of Hong Kong's pro-democracy demonstrators is expected to travel to Beijing Saturday to meet central government officials to request fully democratic elections in 2017, organisers said Friday.

The Hong Kong Federation of Students that has acted as the official interlocutor during more than six weeks of protests, will send three representatives to meet Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and officials involved in the political reform of Hong Kong's electoral system.

The trip was scheduled after Hong Kong authorities refused to discuss the issue with the protesters, according to Alex Chow, one of the organisers of the demonstrations.

Chow, Eason Chung Yiu-wa and Nathan Ley Kwun-chung will make the visit which, according to Chow, is a proof that the people of Hong Kong are not afraid of Beijing's manipulation.

Chow said they were willing to be arrested and face the consequences, and doubted that the Chinese authorities would allow them entry.

He also said the visit would be cancelled if police Friday tried to dismantle the tent cities and barricades the protesters have set up in several Hong Kong neighbourhoods.

Central government sources quoted by the Hong Kong newspaper Mingpao ruled out that the Beijing government would participate in restoring normalcy to the occupied areas.

According to the newspaper, Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit nearby Macau Dec 15 and this is the main reason why the central government does not want to intervene.

The pressure on the hundreds of students who continue to sleep on the streets has intensified in recent days, especially after a Hong Kong court turned down an appeal against the judicial order that gives authority to the police to clear out the occupied streets.

--IANS/EFE

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