Police finalise plans to clear Hong Kong protest sites

More than 3,000 police officers are slated to be deployed in order to clear the protest zones in Hong Kong this week, media reported Tuesday.

According to police officials, the clearance of Occupy camps in Admiralty and Causeway Bay is likely to take place Thursday, South China Morning Post reported.

Details of the operation will be finalised after a meeting with a plaintiff and bailiffs Tuesday.

"Police will clear the entire Admiralty site, including areas that are not covered in the injunction order," an official said.

"We aim to clear all occupied roads and reopen traffic."

"Police will give protesters time to pack their belongings and leave the sites before officers move in," the official added.

Police recently estimated that the number of protesters remaining in Causeway Bay was less than 50.

The clearance plan was revealed Monday after Chief Executive C Y Leung said Sunday that 'furious resistance' is expected from some protesters at the Admiralty sit-in site during the clearance - a move which may bring an end to the occupation which has lasted for more than 70 days.

"Appropriate force will be used if protesters storm police cordons, put up resistance and refuse to cooperate," he said.

Civil unrest began in the territory late September, after the Beijing government made public its plan for electoral reform in Hong Kong, where the selection of candidates for the 2017 election would be placed in the hands of a committee of 1,200 members.

Mong Kok district, having a high population density and a large amount of business and tourist activity, has been the scene of one of the most violent clashes since the protests began.

The pro-democracy protesters are demanding a free choice of candidates in voting for the next chief executive in 2017.