24 October 2014 Last updated at 05:44 ET
Protesters outside government offices in Hong Kong (23 Oct 2014)
Many protesters say the government’s proposal for ending the unrest was inadequate
Protest leaders in Hong Kong are to ballot their supporters over whether to accept the government’s proposals and end their sit-in.
The protest leaders had previously rejected the government’s offer to set up a platform for debating reform and to report to Beijing on the protests.
They said a strong show of support for this stance would help them in their negotiations with the government.
The protests calling for full democracy for Hong Kong began in September.
On Tuesday, student protest leaders and government officials held talks for the first time, but made little progress towards ending the impasse.
The government, represented by deputy leader Carrie Lam, offered to send a report to Chinese government officials reflecting the protesters’ views, and set up a platform to facilitate dialogue on future constitutional changes.
But she stressed that Hong Kong could not “decide on its own its political development” because it was a special administrative region within China.
‘Make voices heard’
Alex Chow, leader of the Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS) protest movement, said after that meeting that the government’s offer “does not have any practical content”.
But on Thursday evening, he told supporters camped outside government offices in the Admiralty area of Hong Kong – which they have renamed Democracy Plaza – that they would be able to have their say on the proposals.
“The government always says that the students don’t represent the people in the plaza and Hong Kong citizens, so we are here to make all our voices heard and we will tell the government clearly what we think.”
Benny Tai, a founder of the Occupy movement which has also been central to the protests, said the results of the vote would be used to bargain with the government.
protest banner on Lion Rock, Hong Kong (23 Oct 2014)
A giant banner saying “I want genuine universal suffrage” appeared on Hong Kong’s Lion Rock mountain on Thursday
“We will be able to better represent the people and take the initiative on behalf of them,” Reuters quoted him as saying.
Hong Kong’s RTHK reported that the vote – set for Sunday – will be held electronically, and conducted by the same body which organised an unofficial referendum in June on political reform.
