China media says Hong Kong protest movement 'defeated' after clearance

Traffic streamed through the heart of Hong Kong for the first time in more than two months after Thursday's police swoop, which cleared the sprawling camp and saw nearly 250 arrests.

"The defeat of the 'umbrella revolution' has... sent a clear message to hostile forces -- both local and overseas," the government-published China Daily said in an editorial.

"On matters of principle, the central government will never make any concessions.

"And in a free and prosperous civil society such as Hong Kong, there is simply no soil for political schemers to advance their agenda."

Protesters are calling for fully free leadership elections for the semi-autonomous city in 2017, but the Chinese government has insisted a loyalist committee vet the candidates. Campaigners say this would ensure the selection of a pro-Beijing stooge.

A British colony until 1997, Hong Kong enjoys civil liberties not seen on the Chinese mainland, but fears have been growing that these freedoms are being eroded.

The China Daily editorial was echoed by Rita Fan, Hong Kong's delegate to Beijing's rubber-stamp parliament.

"From the beginning to the end, I felt the idea of Occupy was wrong -- to attain the goal it sets is impossible," she said.

"I hope the people taking part in Occupy think about who will benefit from the things they are doing now."

Demonstrators feel their lengthy occupation has put the democracy movement on the map with Beijing and the local administration, after it brought parts of the city to a standstill and saw tens of thousands on the street at its height.

But it has achieved no political concessions from either Hong Kong's leaders or the Chinese government, with both branding the protests "illegal".

"With the traffic flowing and lives of people going back to normal, I believe Hong Kong residents will be happy," the city's financial secretary John Tsang said Friday -- the government's first official response since the operation ended.

 

- 'New resistance' - 

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The east-west artery through Hong Kong's Admiralty business district had been blocked since September by the sprawling protest site in a campaign that demonstrators say has changed the city's vexed relationship with Beijing forever, and which has polarised public opinion.

Protest leaders said they would continue to push for reform despite a lack of concessions.

"If we win the support of the young people regarding democracy... there is a greater chance to achieve universal suffrage," teenage student leader Joshua Wong said on Friday.

Many young people have engaged with politics for the first time during the mass protests. 

Benny Tai, leader of the Occupy Central campaign group, also warned of more action to come.

"If the problem of political reform is not handled appropriately I believe the next phase there will be new resistance actions. Would it be long-term occupation of streets? Maybe not," he said.

But analysts said the pro-democracy movement -- from students to legislators -- would have to become more coherent if it were to win any reforms.

"They need to act together to lobby and negotiate with the (Hong Kong) administration and Beijing. That would also give the Hong Kong people the impression that they speak with one voice and are much more organised," said political analyst Willy Lam of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Public support for the movement waned as the weeks of protests wore on and the campaign splintered in different directions.

Tiny remnants of the protest remained on Friday at Admiralty, where workers scrubbed hard to rid bus stops, buildings and roads of stickers and graffiti.

Small pockets of protesters still remain in other parts of the city -- around a dozen are holding the fort at the site in the shopping hub of Causeway Bay, where tents and stalls still block traffic.

"We will stay here until the last moment," 24-year-old Pan Chong told AFP.

There are also 30 tents at the government headquarters. 

"When you're so involved, you forget all the other negative things. I wouldn't miss this opportunity for the world," a 70-year-old retiree and protester, who gave his name as Gregory, told AFP.