Hong Kong protesters debate democracy with government
Calum MacLeod, USA TODAY 1:49 p.m. EDT October 21, 2014
Tens of thousands of demonstrators gather to listen to the talks between government officials and protesters Oct. 21 in Hong Kong.(Photo: Paula Bronstein, Getty Images)
occupied main streets across Hong Kong since Sept. 28.
Leung said there is room to discuss how to form the 1,200-member committee approved by Beijing that will select which candidates can run. He said such changes could be covered in a second round of talks over the next several months.
"There's room to make the nominating committee more democratic, and this is one of the things we very much want to talk to not just the students but the community at large about," the city's Beijing-backed leader said.
As the talks began, a moderator and five representatives from each side sat opposite each other in a modest room at the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine.
The government officials — all except Lam in suits and ties — smiled for the cameras, while the young representatives from the Hong Kong Federation of Students all wore black T-shirts that said "Freedom Now!"
Student leader Alex Chow, in his opening remarks, said China's decision in August requiring the nominating committee has "castrated" Hong Kong's democracy process.
"We don't want anointment," said Chow, secretary-general of the student federation, one of three groups leading the protests.
Chow also took aim at Leung's comments Monday that Hong Kong shouldn't have broader democracy because the poor would have too much say in setting policies in the Asian financial hub.
Leung's remarks claimed protesters' concerns were fueled by discontent over soaring inequality in the former British colony. China took control of Hong Kong in 1997 under its rule of "one country, two systems," allowing more freedoms in the semi-autonomous city.
Tens of thousands of protesters gather to listen to the talks between the government officials and the protesters at the main protest site in Hong Kong. The talks were a small step toward compromise between the two sides.(Photo: Paula Bronstein, Getty Images)
"An unequal nominating committee is no good for the wealth gap in Hong Kong," Chow said during Tuesday's meeting. "Should it continue to serve business conglomerates, won't it continue to deprive the political rights of the 1 million people living in poverty?"
Lam, who is Hong Kong's No. 2 official, repeatedly said the students were being "idealistic" rather than "pragmatic."
In mainland China, the state-run media has restricted coverage of the Hong Kong protests to only brief reports about their negative economic impact. On Tuesday, the Internet giant Sina ran a live blog of the debate, but only posted comments by officials, not the students.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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