With pro-democracy demonstrations continuing in Hong Kong, the leader of the Legislative Council has offered to resume a dialogue with the protest’s leaders. Yet that offer appears to exclude from the talks the major reason why thousands have come out on to the streets.
As office workers joined the protesters for the first time for sit-down lunches and chats it appeared the demonstrators were getting their arguments across.
“The most constructive thing the Hong Kong government can offer the students, is to sit down and listen to the students what we can do together within the framework of the decision of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee. The central authorities
have said clearly that they will not retract the decision of the Standing Committee decision on the 31st of August,” said the LEGCO Chief Executive Leung Chun-Ying.
In other word, Beijing still insists on choosing the shortlist of candidates for the 2017 elections, an insistence the protesters want scrapped.
Police beatings of some students have also hardened resolve, so it is hard to see this offer of what some are calling talks-that-are-not-talks leading anywhere.
