Hong Kong Government Wages War of Attrition
This article is for subscribers only.
After tear gas and talking failed to dislodge all of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters in the first four weeks, the government has entered the second month of the demonstrations with Plan C: a war of attrition.
Authorities are probably waiting for popular support for the movement to fade so police can take back the streets without sparking the kind of violence and mass protests that occurred a month ago, according to law enforcement officials and political analysts. The option of a negotiated settlement stalled after the government rejected the students’ main request for full universal suffrage.