After a turbulent week, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests subsided today as civil servants went back to work and students returned to school, but leaders have vowed to continue the Occupy Central campaign until their demands are met.
For more than a week, Hong Kong was in lockdown as students and other democracy activists pressed for the city's pro-Beijing chief executive CY Leung Chun-ying to resign and for China reverse its decision not to allow free elections in 2017 but instead to vet the candidates.
While nothing has actually changed in terms of both side’s positions and there are no real developments in the stalemate, the demonstrators have agreed to talks about talks, and there were just a few hundred people left near government buildings under multi-coloured canopies.
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In Mong Kok on Kowloon side, where pro-Beijing campaigners and triad gangsters clashed violently with the students at the weekend, the protesters had also pulled back.
"The ball is in the government's court," Alex Chow of the Federation of Students told the South China Morning Post. "We are all waiting and watching how the government acts, to see if this is their tactic to draw this out or whether they are willing to actually hold dialogue."
Tens of thousands joined the protests after police used tear gas on demonstrators on September 28th . The protests blocked some main roads and shopping districts, and forced some banks and shops to close.
The ruling Communist Party in Beijing has dismissed the protests as illegal but has not become involved in dealing with the situation, other than issuing stern editorials in the People's Daily over the week of the protests.
However, the Occupy Central protests have confronted Beijing with one of its most significant popular challenges since it cracked down on pro-democracy protests in June 1989.
Rod Wye, an associate fellow at British think tank Chatham House's Asia programme, believes there are no easy answers in the Hong Kong political crisis.
“There is no easy reconciliation of Beijing’s view that Hong Kong should have an executive-led government, ultimately under its control, and a more liberal interpretation of the basic law, giving Hong Kong a higher degree of autonomy,” he said.
“These differences were papered over with ambiguous compromises — the unexpected intervention of the students and people of Hong Kong have now put them squarely on the table.”
The election of the Legislative Council by universal suffrage is a potential game changer in Hong Kong.
The terms of the talks to end the demonstrations still have to be ironed out.
“It’s clear there is still discrepancy between the expectations from both parties towards the dialogue,” Lester Shum, vice secretary of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, told a news conference late on Sunday. He said they would have to meet again before holding talks.
People in the former crown colony were asking if the subdued way in which the protests had fizzled out meant the movement had run its course.
However, others were philosophical. Cardinal Joseph Zen, who had been supportive of the protesters, said: "At this moment, we can make a satisfactory conclusion to our actions."
