Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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              Hong Kong Government Calls Off Talks with Protesters

   by VOA News

   The Hong Kong government has called off talks with student protesters
   that were meant to ease tensions after weeks of pro-democracy protests
   in the semiautonomous Chinese territory.

   Chief Secretary Carrie Lam told reporters Thursday that the protesters'
   call for expansion of the movement has shaken the trust of the
   government and made productive talks impossible. The talks had been set
   for Friday.

   Earlier Thursday at a news conference, a group of student leaders said
   they will not disperse the sit-ins that have paralyzed parts of the
   city for nearly two weeks.

   The leaders from Occupy Central, the Federation of Students, and
   Scholarism also threatened to occupy more areas and hold additional
   school boycotts if their demands are not met.

   The protesters are demanding that Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung
   Chun-ying resign and that Beijing reverse its decision to screen
   candidates for the territory's 2017 election.

   The number of protesters has dwindled to just a few hundred, down from
   the tens of thousands that initially gathered at the protest sites that
   have been declared illegal by Hong Kong and Chinese authorities.

   Attempts to force Leung to resign may be bolstered by the recent
   emergence of media reports accusing the leader of taking $6.4 million
   in undisclosed payments from an Australian company while in office.

   Leung has denied any wrongdoing in accepting the payments, saying the
   deal was a standard non-compete clause signed before he became chief
   executive.

   Several pro-democracy lawmakers have called for an investigation into
   the deal.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/hong-kong-gov-calls-off-talks-with-pr
   otesters/2477882.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/hong-kong-gov-calls-off-talks-with-protesters/2477882.html