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shen said:

SCMP coverage of the first dialogue. Anybody know a video link for the whole dialogue? preferably with translation for non cantonese speakers?

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HONG KONG—The Jiang Zemin faction of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) appears to be trying to create so much trouble in Hong Kong that Party leader Xi Jinping will be forced to repeat the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre.

The Jiang faction would then be able to criticize Xi for his violent act and force him to step down, thus preventing Xi from purging any more Jiang faction members. Xi has already removed large numbers of former CCP leader Jiang Zemin’s supporters from the Party in his anti-corruption campaign.

Jiang lost his power over the CCP’s highest authorities when his successor, Hu Jintao, retired from his position as Party leader in 2012. At that time, Hu set a new rule that former Party leaders can no longer interfere with the work of the current leader.

Jiang no longer had the freedom to interfere with politics. At the same time, he lost many of his supporters, including his successor as head of the Jiang faction, Bo Xilai, who was imprisoned.

In an effort to regain power, the Jiang faction has been plotting various ways to eliminate Xi: assassination, a coup, or another incident like the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

The current political turmoil and protests in Hong Kong are all part of the Jiang faction’s plan.
Pro-democracy protesters stand off with the police after they were trying all night to shutdown parts of Argyle Street and Nathan Road in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, on Oct. 18, 2014. (Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times)

Pro-democracy protesters stand off with the police after they were trying all night to shutdown parts of Argyle Street and Nathan Road in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, on Oct. 18, 2014. (Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times)


Hong Kong Is the Battlefield

Zeng Qinghong, a core member of the Jiang faction who was in charge of Hong Kong affairs, appointed Leung Chun-ying as Hong Kong Chief Executive in 2012. Although the city-state is meant to have a high degree of autonomy from China, Leung is known to be an underground CCP member and Jiang supporter.

This allowed the Jiang faction to drag Hong Kong into Beijing’s power struggles. The faction’s goal is to put Xi Jinping into the situation of former CCP Premier Zhao Ziyang, who fell from power after the Tiananmen Square incident.

On Aug. 31, the Party’s National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee denied Hongkongers’ wish for true universal suffrage for their next chief executive election, enraging Hong Kong citizens. Tens of thousands of college students went on strike, and more civilians have joined the massive protest that is now known worldwide as the Umbrella Movement.

The Hong Kong government had the protesters assaulted with pepper spray and tear gas, thinking this would force them to retreat. Instead, more people came out to join the demonstration.

Prospects of the CCP ever granting democracy to Hong Kong are bleak. The CCP has been manipulating the city-state’s chief executive elections and appointments of core members of its leadership ever since Hong Kong was handed over to China from Britain in 1997.

Furthermore, the CCP has controlled Hong Kong society to a certain extent through groups such as the Executive Council, Commerce Chambers, and Association of Hong Kong Professionals.

This time, however, the CCP purposely chose to disrupt Hong Kong with the election issue, since this issue would quickly trigger growing dissatisfaction in the society.

The CCP’s fourth Plenary Session, a meeting of its leadership, takes place Oct. 20-23. More Jiang faction loyalists are expected to be purged then, so the faction has gone to great lengths to create chaos in Hong Kong before then.

Last week the dialogue that students were originally supposed to have with Beijing was cancelled by Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong Government Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Oct. 9. The Leung government has further increased the social tension, and the Hong Kong Federation of Students has announced a new round of civil disobedience.

According to foreign media, on Sept. 28 Xi angrily refused the request of Jiang faction member Zhang Dejiang that Xi clear the protest site by force. Xi said he would not deploy the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) garrison in Hong Kong, and he let Leung deal with the situation instead.

On Oct. 3, Leung sent his underground CCP supporters and mafia to attack and harass the masses of protesters. Some of the thugs pretended to be pro-democracy protesters and purposely started a fight with the pro-CCP protesters in the street, trying to stir up the situation.

The denial of true universal suffrage and the Leung government’s violent suppression of the Umbrella Movement are the results of careful deployment by Jiang and Zeng for the past two years. They intend to throw Hong Kong into turmoil and create trouble for Xi.

Xi has fought back by sending large numbers of secret agents to Hong Kong to expose the identities and backgrounds of Jiang faction members there.

They collected Leung’s information, including his connections and supporters inside the Hong Kong government, police force, and mafia. They also publicly exposed those who provoked protesters in the streets.
An pro-democracy activist holds the Captain America sheild a few hours after the Hong Kong police removed all the barriers in the Monk Kok area on Oct. 17, 2014. (Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times)

An pro-democracy activist holds the Captain America sheild a few hours after the Hong Kong police removed all the barriers in the Monk Kok area on Oct. 17, 2014. (Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times)


Why Hong Kong?

The Jiang faction chose to disrupt Hong Kong for several reasons.

One is that Hong Kong is an international metropolis and world financial center. Almost all foreign media have agencies in Hong Kong, so when something happens in Hong Kong, the news is broadcast globally.

Another reason is that Zeng Qinghong has fostered a large number of underground CCP organizations and triad forces in Hong Kong during his nearly 20 years in charge of Hong Kong affairs. These forces are handy for deployment.

In addition, Hong Kong is a special region under the principle of one country, two systems that governs its relations with China. It is protected by the core values of freedom, democracy, and rule of law inherited from its British colonial period.

So if the bloody Tiananmen Square Massacre were repeated, it would be a heavy blow to Xi, and the Jiang faction could regain its power.
Pro-CCP Groups Create Chaos

During the 18th CCP National Congress in 2012, Jiang faction members Zeng Qinghong and Zhou Yongkang were afraid of being brought to justice for their violent persecution of Falun Gong in China. Thus they ordered Leung Chun-ying to oppose Falun Gong in Hong Kong.

The CCP-supporting Hong Kong Youth Care Association (HKYCA) was created for this purpose. For over two years, HKYCA members have slandered, harassed, threatened, and beat Falun Gong practitioners at Falun Gong information sites that raise awareness of the persecution.

Other pro-CCP groups were also founded, such as Caring Hong Kong Power and Voice of Hong Kong. All these groups participated in a march against democracy on Aug. 17 and attacked peaceful Umbrella Movement demonstrators in Mong Kok.

These incidents were meant to create hatred and intensify the situation in Hong Kong.

The Jiang faction also tried to re-legislate Article 23, which would silence anti-CCP voices in Hong Kong. Last December, radical activists from the group Hongkongese Priority broke into the PLA barracks, after which Jiang-supporting professor Wang Zhenmin urged the Hong Kong government to implement Article 23 as soon as possible.

However, the article was not passed due to resistance from society.
A woman who is pro-CCP speaks on a loud speaker as pro-democracy protesters boo and yell at her in the Central District of Hong Kong on Oct. 7. (Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times)

A woman who is pro-CCP speaks on a loud speaker as pro-democracy protesters boo and yell at her in the Central District of Hong Kong on Oct. 7. (Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times)


Suppression of Media

In order to spread the rumors they wanted, the Jiang faction had to suppress Hong Kong’s press freedom. After Leung took office, he speeded up penetrating and controlling the media using several kinds of tactics.

One tactic was using triads to threaten media workers. Thugs have harassed clients of the Hong Kong Epoch Times, vandalized the house gate of Next Media boss Jimmy Lai, and brutally attacked former Ming Pao chief editor Kevin Lau.

Leung also suppressed media with economic means. Both Apple Daily and am730 have had advertisements withdrawn, and famous political commentator and radio host Li Wei-ling from Commercial Radio has been sacked.

In addition, Leung used administrative means. The chairman and founder of Hong Kong Television Network Limited, Ricky Wong Wai-kay, was not granted a free-to-air TV license. Wong’s internet TV was also called to a halt by the Leung administration’s selective law enforcement.

Leung’s suppression of local media has allowed the CCP-controlled media to continuously discredit the protesting students and use propaganda to slander the Umbrella Movement. At the same time, hundreds of CCP front groups are spreading rumors to discredit the protesters.

The Apple Daily newspaper became a victim of the continued stifling of media freedom. On Oct. 11, hundreds of pro-CCP protesters began blocking the entrance to the building of Apple Daily’s parent company Next Media, stopping the distribution of the newspaper.

Apple Daily obtained a restraining order from the High Court on Oct. 14. However, the pro-CCP protesters continued to stop the truck from delivering papers and cursed at the Apple Daily cameraman while police were present.
Several Hong Kong newspapers with reports on Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement Occupy Central. The tone of a number of Hong Kong media outlets in reporting on Occupy Central has aligned with that of the Chinese Communist Party media outlets in mainland China. (Epoch Times)

Several Hong Kong newspapers with reports on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement Occupy Central. The tone of a number of Hong Kong media outlets in reporting on Occupy Central has aligned with that of the Chinese Communist Party media outlets in mainland China. (Epoch Times)


CCP Deliberately Angers Hongkongers

This year, CCP officials and Hong Kong pro-CCP figures have frequently declared their standpoints on the chief executive election in order to provoke Hongkongers.

For instance, NPC Standing Committee chairman Zhang Dejiang stated that universal suffrage must be in keeping with the reality in Hong Kong, and it must follow the Basic Law and the NPC’s decisions. He said the chief executive must love the country of China and love Hong Kong.

Around the same time, Peking University law professor Rao Geping denied each of the election plans suggested by Hongkongers: civic nomination, Party nomination, civic recommendation, and Party recommendation. Chief Secretary Carrie Lam commented that Rao’s denials were the final words on political reform, causing a wave of protests.

In March 2013, NPC Law Committee chairman Qiao Xiaoyang stated that the chosen chief executive must “love the country and love Hong Kong,” must not defy the central government, and must strictly follow the Basic Law and the NPC’s decisions.

On June 10, 2014, the State Council Information Office, controlled by another Jiang faction member, Liu Yunshan, released a white paper that stated Hong Kong only had as much independence as Beijing was willing to give it.

This triggered a new round of protests for true universal suffrage. Nearly 800 thousand citizens voted for democracy in a civil referendum, and 510 thousand took to the streets to protest on July 1.

According to an inside source, the white paper was a scheme by Zhang Dejiang and Liu Yunshan. They chose to release it on June 10, the same day the 610 Office security agency was formed by Jiang Zemin to persecute Falun Gong 15 years ago.

This date of release was after the June 4 vigil in Hong Kong commemorating the Tiananmen Square Massacre and before the July 1 protest march. It was carefully chosen with the goal of stimulating the situation in Hong Kong.

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Blackstone said:

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Will actors Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung and dozens of other celebrities who have spoken out in support of Hong Kong’s democracy protests face career blowback in mainland China for voicing their views?

Apple Daily and other Hong Kong-based publications that have been supportive of the demonstrations reported this week that Chinese propaganda officials have drawn up a list of 47 such stars and ordered state-owned mainland Chinese media outlets to keep their names out of the press.

An employee at one state-run publication in Beijing said she was aware of the list but had no further details. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to talk to the media.

Reports of the blacklist come a week after Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a major speech saying he believes that art should serve the people and socialism.
Chow Yun-Fat, Tony Leung
Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung in a scene from John Woo's "Hard-Boiled." (Rim Film Distributors Inc.)

Addressing a group of renowned authors, actors, scriptwriters and dancers in Beijing last Wednesday, he called on artists to produce more works that "disseminate contemporary Chinese values.”

Time will tell whether celebrities who have spoken out in support of Hong Kong’s “Occupy Central” movement will be officially shut out of the mainland. But some mainlanders are already calling on fans to take measures into their own hands and boycott the films, TV shows and songs of such artists.

On Wednesday, “Pro-Occupy Central artists get out of mainland China” was one of the hottest topics on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media service. More than 4.6 million users had commented on the subject.
lRelated China's ruling Communists take up 'rule of law' - their way

Some said Hong Kong artists have been “too spoiled” by fans on the mainland, whose entertainment market has exploded in recent years and now dwarfs those of Hong Kong and Taiwan.

“We should save our dignity and not offer them more work! They have said they didn’t need our money! We mainland have so many gorgeous actors, we don’t need to look at their faces and be scolded like idiots while they make money out of our pockets. We shouldn’t spoil them anymore!” wrote one user.

Others said they felt hurt and betrayed, saying Hong Kongers had failed to show gratitude to the mainland.

“How much money did mainland China offer to rescue Hong Kong during the economic recession? All other Western countries didn’t have the energy to care for you, who else would help you like us? When you created trouble and acted like a kid, your country will tolerate you like a parent, but if you upset your country, your parent will discipline you.”

Almost 100,000 Weibo users participated in an unscientific poll, which asked: “Which way would you choose to boycott these unscrupulous artists?” Over 66% of respondents said they would “never watch/listen to the pro-Occupy Central artists’ works.”

It’s not just on the mainland that pro-Occupy Central stars are taking heat. Jing Wong, a Hong Kong film director, wrote on his Weibo page that he would no longer work with three artists who have strongly supported the protests: actors Anthony Wong and Chapman To and singer Denise Ho.

(To, as well as Chow Yun-fat, appeared in Wong’s 2014 film “From Vegas to Macao”; curiously, the director did not say he would refuse to work with Chow from now on.)

“I have never paid much attention to politics, I’m not even a voter. But my wife and I have decided to register to vote. Let’s vote to chase these traitors out, we cannot let them poison HK anymore!” Wong wrote.

As for Anthony Wong, Chapman To and Denise Ho, the director added: “I respect that you have your own political opinions. But I do not agree with you. Your contacts will be deleted from my computers and cell phones.”

Denise Ho has appeared regularly at Occupy Central rallies. On Tuesday night, she addressed the crowd after student protest leaders held talks with government officials; the dialogue yielded no immediate breakthroughs.

"We should not be disappointed by the fact that talks with the officials still can't bring us true democracy, but full of hope that we have such amazing students who fight for our future," she said.

Ho’s name was among the 47 on the supposed blacklist circulating this week. Others on the list included actors Tony Leung and Nick Cheung, lyricist Albert Leung, singer-actress Karena Lam, and singer Deserts Xuan.

Chow Yun-fat earned the nickname “non-governmental chief executive” after he gave an interview to Apple Daily on Oct. 1 criticizing police for using tear gas against demonstrators in late September.

“The police were wrong the first day. Hong Kong residents will be very offended if the government continues to treat the students with violence,” he said. “I’m moved by the students and civilians, they are very brave to pursue their demands. [Hong Kong Chief Executive] Leung Chun-ying shouldn’t avoid the problem.”

Meanwhile, actor Anthony Wong strongly condemned the Hong Kong government and police on his Facebook account last month, writing: "What have the protesters damaged? What have they burnt? Whom have they killed? Why do you use ... tear gas? If there is a riot, what would you use? Aircrafts? Cannons? Tyranny?”

Chapman To, another Hong Kong actor well-known for being outspoken about social issues, also left furious messages on his Facebook page. "Leung Chun-ying, you will have to pay a big price for today," he wrote.

But Jing Wong is not alone among Hong Kong celebrities in declaring his opposition to the democracy protesters.

Jackie Chan spoke out against Occupy Central on his Weibo account on Oct. 11: “There cannot be a prosperous home without a powerful country,” he said. “Love our country and love our Hong Kong.”

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How Chinese Authorities Try to Extinguish US-made “Color Revolution” Fire in Hong Cong
Post Categories: Asia
Fritz Morgen | Monday, October 20, 2014, 15:15 Beijing
Hong Cong Umbrella Revolution of 2014
Unrest in Hong Kong are declining. On Monday, the part of the fence was dismantled, the main government complex resumed its work. Protesters with umbrellas behave peacefully and do not interfere with civil servants getting in/out of work; the number of activists on the streets has decreased dramatically:

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Of course, it’s too early to say “Done”. As recently as last winter EuroMaydan a few times almost completely faded, but then petrol to sustain fire was injected again and again; in the end all this ended with national socialist revolution and Anti-Russian course for Ukraine as well as the rapid destruction of economy, and civil war at the East.

However, the initial success of China authorities is obvious, and if the organizers of “umbrella Maydan” will not be able to inject new resources and money into the protest and/or organize a serious provocation along the class like of sharpshooter from the roof, Hong Kong might soon return to a normal life.
Let’s see what methods the China used in response to the orange infection.

1. As we remember the significant contribution to EuroMaydan was transportation by buses of residents of Western regions of Ukraine into Kiev. In Hong Kong this trick failed. China has established a tight cordons on the border of Hong Kong – tourists who looks like potential street fighters and coordinators tourists were turned back. Buses with armed bits and fittings gull of young aggressive young people had no chance to get into the area of unrest.

2. China has carefully worked the Hong Kong professors, who trying to repay the US grants by droving students to the streets. Dismissal, conversations with the Chinese KGB, check about the payment of taxes from money from grants make this method of generating the crowd from university students by-and-large closed. Similar problems were created for all American NGOs.

Yanukovich during his time in power did not managed to close this channel of feeding of Maydan via “pre-paid” university professors, and NGOs has almost diplomatic immunity status in Ukraine. At the end he almost paid with his life for that.

3. A dangerous groups that could take on the role of storm troopers for insurgents – such as radical environmentalists were placed under administrative arrest and could not participate in the riots.

4. Around the Maydan was organized by the cordon of police, who did not give peaceful protesters the ability to smuggle to the place of unrest Molotov cocktails and such. Those who were caught were packed into police car and removed.

5. China found for local Poroshenko, who fanned the Maydan through his media resources, some very convincing words. Jimmy Lai for a couple of days disappeared from the public view, and when he returned, his revolutionary enthusiasm had sharply diminished.

6. Chinese media together were explained to local residents that because of protests big business and big money will move to other cities. which gladly will cease the opportunity to take over Hong Kong financial hub. For residents of Hong Kong this is a very troubling prospect: at least in terms of higher unemployment and lower wages. At this point many will not be able to pay their mortgages and other loans.

Explanations had its effect – CNN reports that the locals became really aggressive toward protesters. Quote:

Talks planned as Hong Kong protest numbers shrink – CNN.com

The news of official talks comes as a dwindling number of pro-democracy demonstrators continue to cling on to their protest sites in key areas of the tightly packed city. As their numbers wane, so does patience of some of their fellow citizens.

“At first, I supported them, but then I started to think they are being selfish because they block the roads — and that’s wrong,” said Virginia Lai, who has sold newspapers from a stall in the busy district of Mong Kok for 45 years.

Lai says her business is down 30% and getting worse. The student-led demonstrators are camped out at a major intersection in the neighborhood, which witnessed violent clashes between protesters and their opponents over the weekend.
At the moment on the streets of Hong Kong are still about 300 protesters:

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As we know from previous color revolutions experience, hardcore protesters themselves usually do not disperse voluntarily: they sit until the last, waiting for the moment when the police begin to disperse them. How will China to solve the problem is unclear.

However, we can already say that Americans have faced this time with an intelligent and cold-blooded enemy: the enemy, who had carefully studied all of their previous games, and provided a strong response to each standard course of manuals.

Perhaps, in the place of the Americans, I would think not even about Hong Kong, but about Texas and Washington. In the U.S., more than enough smoldering conflicts that an experienced player will be able, with a little luck to inflate to a full-scale protest. and amount of armed people could make it problemati for policy to crash.

By Fritz Morgen

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Tensions in Hong Kong rose as pro-democracy demonstrators and those opposed to the movement, which has blocked major thoroughfares, snarled traffic and disrupted businesses for a month, sought opinions on whether the protests should continue.

The protests, entering their fifth week, were sparked by China’s decision to exercise control over nominating procedures for the city’s first leadership election in 2017. Opponents say that would effectively let China choose the slate of candidates.

Protest leaders will hold a referendum today and tomorrow to decide on their demands, after talks with the government on Oct. 21 failed to resolve the impasse. People opposed to the disruption from demonstrations rallied last night in the Tsim Sha Tsui district to express their views.

“You can disagree, but you cannot just sit in the middle of the road,” said Betty Yung, 65, a retired principal who spoke on stage in Tsim Tsa Tsui. “This is not the right way to do things. What if the ambulance that’s supposed to bring me to the hospital ends up being stuck in traffic because the roads are blocked by the students?”

Benny Tai, founder of the Occupy Central With Love and Peace protest group, told reporters at the Legislative Council Complex last night that the referendum will indicate the direction supporters think the movement should take.
Photographer: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg

A demonstrator uses plastic zip ties to secure a barricade on Nathan Road in the Mong... Read More
Vote Significance

“The significance of the vote this time, is to provide an opportunity for the supporters of the umbrella movement to indicate their stand on the issues put forward,” Tai said. “I still believe this is a democratic process we are working on, and I am confident we can continue to work on this democratic process to allow consensus to be built, even though we might have differences in opinion.”

There are two motions in the referendum, according to Occupy Central’s Twitter account: Whether to demand that a report by the Hong Kong government suggest that China’s central government review its Aug. 31 decision to vet candidates; and a call for the multiparty platform that handles political controversies to take charge of procedures for 2016 legislative elections and the 2017 chief executive vote.

The vote is meant to enable demonstrators to express their stance and put pressure on the government, Tai told assembled protesters in the Admiralty district Oct. 24. The referendum isn’t a mechanism to get people off the streets, he said.
Leung Adamant

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying reiterated his refusal to resign as he attended a function at the Hong Kong International Airport. Protest leaders and lawmaker James Tien have called for him to step down, saying the people have lost trust in the government.
Photographer: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg

An anti-Occupy demonstrator holds a sign reading "Support HK Police" in front of police... Read More

“I will not resign,” Leung said in comments broadcast on Cable TV yesterday. “We will need to go back to the existing legal framework to solve Hong Kong’s current issues. Anyone who has a different political view will have to go through the legal framework and not using illegal ways to express their views.”

Hong Kong’s High Court extended until Oct. 27 interim injunctions banning pro-democracy protesters from defending their barricades, as police said events were turning chaotic.

High Court Judge Thomas Au ruled Oct. 24 to continue the injunctions over the weekend, until a hearing to revoke them resumes on Monday. Although the police weren’t instructed by the court to remove barriers, the injunctions forbid protesters from intervening with their removal by third parties, raising the potential for renewed violence.
‘Lawful Action’

Two injunctions were filed on Oct. 20 by an association of taxi drivers and a minibus company at a protest site in Mong Kok, and a third by a property company controlled by Chinese state-backed Citic Ltd. (267) at the main site in Admiralty.

As the injunction hearings are civil suits, plaintiffs have the right to take “lawful action” to remove the barricades, Hui said Oct. 24.

Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong’s first chief executive after the city reverted to Chinese rule, on Oct. 24 called on pro-democracy protesters to end their street occupations or risk damaging the city’s economy.

A plan to link trading between the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges has been delayed because of the protest in Hong Kong, Ming Pao reported today, citing “authoritative” people in Beijing it didn’t identify.

Hong Kong stock exchange spokeswoman Lorraine Chan declined to comment on the report; spokesman Scott Sapp didn’t answer a phone call to his mobile phone. A call to the press office of the Shanghai Stock Exchange outside business hours went unanswered.

Occupy protest leaders are in talks with pro-democracy on a plan for mass resignations to force a de facto referendum on political reform, Alex Chow, secretary general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, said yesterday, according to the South China Morning Post.

If lawmakers from each of the city’s five geographical constituencies resign, the government would have to hold by-elections that would serve as such a referendum, the report cited Chow as saying.

To contact the reporters on this story: Choong En Han in Kuala Lumpur at [email protected]; Clement Tan in Hong Kong at [email protected]

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Stanley James at [email protected] Jim McDonald

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Rancour and division after a month of political turmoil crystallised last night as thousands of pro- and anti-Occupy Central protesters gathered on opposite sides of Victoria Harbour to vent their frustrations.

The gatherings - one at the newly dubbed "Umbrella Square'' and the other at the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower - came as Occupy leaders geared up to poll supporters on the way forward while anti-Occupy activists began a signature campaign to end the protests and back the police.

The Alliance for Peace and Democracy said it had collected 321,827 signatures. Food and Health Secretary Dr Ko Wing-man and other senior officials said they would also sign it.
READ: Occupy Central scraps poll on way to move protests forward

Spokesman Robert Chow Yung urged protesters to retreat: "They are ignoring the rule of law and disrupting public order. ... Is that democracy?"

Last night's anti-Occupy gathering in Tsim Sha Tsui - which included "blue ribbon" activists - was marred by attacks on reporters and cameramen.

A woman RTHK reporter was dragged to the ground while a male TVB reporter had his glasses knocked off and tie pulled at.

"They punched and kicked my back and grabbed my tie," the TVB reporter, John Sin, said.

As a crowd surrounded them calling them "traitors", one cameraman was grabbed by the neck and another was pushed to the ground. All were scratched around their torsos and faces.

The stations condemned the violence and RTHK said it would boycott "blue ribbon" events to safeguard staff safety.

Leticia Lee See-yin, of the Justice Alliance that helped organise the Tsim Sha Tsui event, condemned the attackers but said they were individual events.

Yesterday also saw Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying in damage control as he sought to explain his controversial comments last week on the electoral rights of the poor.

In comments to international media, Leung had said a nominating committee was necessary to prevent a "numbers game"' in which chief executive hopefuls would be talking to "half of the people in Hong Kong who earn less than US$1,800 a month".

Yesterday, Leung said: "The Basic Law has clearly stipulated an electoral system that embraces balanced participation. I have repeatedly told the media that 'balanced participation' did not mean slanting towards any sector or class."

He said the establishment of an official poverty line was proof his administration cared about the poor. But his efforts to cool the controversy were in vain.

In an interview with the Chinese-language daily Ming Pao, former chief secretary David Akers-Jones - a heavyweight Leung supporter in the 2012 election - said Leung's remarks were "hasty and rash" and could amplify existing societal conflicts.

Nobel economics prize laureate Paul Krugman weighed in earlier, describing Leung's stance as a strategy "for protecting plutocrats from the mob" in his New York Times column.

The Alliance for Defending the Grassroots Housing Rights is launching a non-cooperation campaign calling on public housing tenants to delay payment of their rents to express their discontent over reform.

Meanwhile, Occupy organisers and the Federation of Students yesterday appealed for protesters to join electronic ballots today and tomorrow.

Two motions will be put forward. The first asks whether the National People's Congress Standing Committee should withdraw its earlier decision to limit candidates for the 2017 chief executive election.

The second asks if the multiparty platform for constitutional reform that the local government has suggested should affirm the abolition of functional constituencies in the legislature in 2016 and public nomination for the chief executive the year after.

Some protesters said they would not vote. " "The items of the referendum are the reasons why we are here. I think the vote is meaningless," said Leonard Yuen, 19, who has been at the Admiralty sit-in since it began on September 28. But Occupy Central organiser Benny Tai Yiu-ting said protesters could still make good use of the ballots.

Basic Law Committee member and legal scholar Albert Chen Hung-yee warned that the vote could end badly despite the organisers' good intentions.

It was legally possible yet politically impossible for the NPC to amend its decision, he said.

The Federation of Students yesterday also put forward a way to trigger a referendum on political reform - by having pan-democrat lawmakers resign so as to prompt by-elections, as the Civic Party and the League of Social Democrats did in 2010.

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