A mockery of democracy

Facing heightened pressure to end their disruptive occupation actions, leaders of the Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS) and Scholarism - two student groups in the frontline of steering the illegal "Occupy Central" campaign - have been busy playing various political stunts over the past few weeks.

In yet another premeditated move, protesters stormed the city's key business district and laid siege to government headquarters in Admiralty on Sunday night and early on Monday. The radicals took action after HKFS leaders called for an escalation of their protests.

The declared intention of the latest stunt was to force the Hong Kong SAR Government to scrap the ongoing process of electoral reform so as to start the entire process again. More specifically, the "Occupy" leaders have demanded retraction of the National People's Congress Standing Committee's (NPCSC) Aug 31 decision. This landmark decision was made to set the legal framework for proposed constitutional reform for the election of Hong Kong's Chief Executive via universal suffrage in 2017. The NPCSC has the ultimate authority on such matters.

The protest leaders were, in effect, openly challenging the authority of the nation's top legislature. By resorting to violence to press for unconstitutional and unrealistic demands, they have made it crystal clear that they have no intention of helping solve the current political stalemate by working within the legal boundaries.

They were merely launching another maneuver in an attempt to sustain the fading momentum of the "Occupy" campaign amid strong objections from the public. It will prove to be simply another futile attempt. They have failed in their various maneuvers staged over the past weeks, as suggested by the dwindling numbers of protesters on the street and rising objections from the public. A most recent opinion poll conducted late last month shows that 83 percent of Hong Kong people want protesters to end their occupation immediately.

The latest stunt by protesters won't help their political endeavors - specifically an electoral mechanism with no legal standing but with the aim of ensuring their favored candidates have a chance to grab the top political job in the SAR. It is only likely to stoke further public resentment.

The occupiers have been promoting their political aspirations and endeavors under the pretext of advancing democracy in Hong Kong. But by resorting to violent coercion and working against the public will, they have readily set aside their much-hyped "democracy" guise. They are making a mockery of democracy. After all, majority rule is the heart and soul of democracy.