POST OCCUPY CENTRAL - DAY 63 (16-02-2015)

Occupy Central

Occupy Central is a civil disobedience movement which began in Hong Kong on September 28, 2014. It calls on thousands of protesters to block roads and paralyse Hong Kong's financial district if the Beijing and Hong Kong governments do not agree to implement universal suffrage for the chief executive election in 2017 and the Legislative Council elections in 2020 according to "international standards." The movement was initiated by Benny Tai Yiu-ting (戴耀廷), an associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong, in January 2013.

Umbrella Movement

The Umbrella Movement (Chinese: 雨傘運動; pinyin: yǔsǎn yùndòng) is a loose political movement that was created spontaneously during the Hong Kong protests of 2014. Its name derives from the recognition of the umbrella as a symbol of defiance and resistance against the Hong Kong government, and the united grass-roots objection to the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) of 31 August.

The movement consists of individuals numbering in the tens of thousands who participated in the protests that began on 28 September 2014, although Scholarism, the Hong Kong Federation of Students, Occupy Central with Love and Peace,  groups are principally driving the demands for the rescission of the NPCSC decision.

Occupy Central site in Causeway Bay was cleared as police moved in  ...

POST OCCUPY CENTRAL - DAY 63: 

Full coverage of the day’s events

Emily Lau yet to get any invitation for talks


Democratic Party Chairwoman, Emily Lau Wai-hing, said she welcomed further dialogue on political reforms, but said she hasn't seen any invitation to a meeting with Beijing officials.

She said if she does get one, she'll reiterate her party's stance that the restrictive framework is unacceptable.

She was responding to a statement by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Raymond Tam Chi-yuen, who said a new meeting between pan-democrat lawmakers and Beijing officials may be on the cards.




Civic group compiles report on political reform


A civic group's come up with its own report on the public's views on political reform.

Civil Society Joint Action said it has taken into account various protests and opinion polls and looked at what sparked the Occupy movement last year.

Former Civil Service secretary Joseph Wong Wing-ping, who is a member of the group, said their report is much more comprehensive than the one the government produced for Beijing. 




Joseph Lee rejects reform plan


Joseph Lee Kwok-lun, a health sector representative in Legco, has declared that he will vote against the political reform proposal offered by Beijing.

Lee is seen as one of the moderate pan-democrats the government is trying to sway.

He said he would only consider changing his mind if the government promises to abolish functional constituency seats in the Council.

More than 700 nurses had asked Mr Lee, who represents them, to veto the government's upcoming political reform package.

In a statement published in the newspapers on Tuesday, the nurses had said the restrictive framework Beijing set out for Hong Kong has to go.

Lee said he would vote according to their wishes.


The government will need at least four votes from the pan-democratic camp to secure the passage of the reform package. 



Protest marshal Kwok released


Occupy protest marshals Alex Kwok and Ricky Or have been released by the police, after refusing to renew their bail over charges of fighting in a public place.
The pair were arrested while allegedly trying to subdue two men attacking media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying with animal organs.

Speaking before going into Central Police Station, Kwok said the charges were unfounded.


Or said the police told them they aren't ruling out the possibility of re-arresting the pair if further evidence comes to light.