Hong Kong protests: Government calls off talks with pro-democracy student leaders
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Hong Kong's government has called off planned talks with pro-democracy leaders, after student protesters vowed to occupy new areas of the city.
Both sides had agreed to talks on Friday aimed at easing tensions that have seen thousands take to the streets to demand free elections.
Speaking on the eve of the meeting, chief secretary Carrie Lam told reporters the basis for constructive dialogue had been "undermined".
"It's impossible to have a constructive meeting tomorrow," Ms Lam said.
The senior government official blamed the collapse of the talks on student leaders who she accused of "undermining trust" in the proposed meeting with their comments over the last two days.
"The dialogue cannot be deployed as an excuse to incite more people to join the protest," she said.
"The illegal occupation activists must stop."
Her comments came just hours after protest leaders vowed to ratchet up their occupation of key parts of the city if they failed to win concessions from the government.
Hong Kong's student protesters said they would not retreat from their barricades and vowed to take over new areas in their struggle for full democracy.
"Without a just explanation and concrete ideas of how to settle the current dispute, Hong Kong people will not retreat," Alex Chow, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, said.
"And there's no reason for anyone to ask us to retreat.
"Therefore the Occupy movement must be ongoing. Also the students will go into different occupy areas."
Parts of the financial hub have been paralysed for more than a week by demonstrations calling for Beijing to grant the former British colony full democracy and for chief executive Leung Chun-ying to resign.
Under plans unveiled by China in August, Hong Kong citizens will be able to vote for Mr Leung's successor in 2017, but only two to three vetted candidates will be allowed to stand.
AFP
Topics: activism-and-lobbying, government-and-politics, hong-kong, china, asia
Carrie Lam
 Eigentlich wollten sich die Regierung Hongkongs und Vertreter der Protestbewegung für mehr Demokratie am Freitag zu Gesprächen zur Lösung der Situation treffen, aber Carrie Lam, Chief Secretary der Regierung, sagte die Verhandlungen am Donnerstag ab. Als Begründung gab sie an, dass Studentenführer den Gesprächen die Grundlage entzogen hätten. Hintergrund dafür sind anscheinend Bemerkungen von Alex Chow, dem Generalsekretär der Studenten-Vereinigung, und anderen Protestführern, dass sie die Blockaden, die zwischenzeitlich verkleinert worden waren, wieder ausdehnen und auch neue bisher nicht besetzte Orte einbeziehen würden, um den Druck auf die Regierung aufrecht zu erhalten. Chow verlangte Erklärungen und konkrete Vorschläge von der Regierung, um die Proteste zu beenden. Er erklärte, man sei bereit, den Preis für die Erlangung der Demokratie zu zahlen, der gefordert werde, wobei er angab, dass er auch Gewalt erwarte.

Nachdem die Aufforderungen zur erneuten Ausweitung der Proteste zunächst vage gewesen waren, rief Chow nach der Absage der Gespräche, die er einen „internationalen Witz“ nannte, dazu auf, mit 200.000 Menschen gegen die Regierung zu demonstrieren; dann könne diese angesichts der Zahlen an Demonstranten nicht mehr sagen, dass die Forderungen überzogen seien.