Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Hong Kong Protesters, Authorities Set for Talks by VOA News Hong Kong student leaders are set to meet senior government officials late Tuesday in an effort to resolve a political crisis that has led to more than three weeks of demonstrations. The talks will be broadcast live, a key demand of the protesters, and will be aired on several giant screens at demonstration sites in the semiautonomous Chinese territory. Protesters want Beijing to reverse an August decision to screen candidates for the territory's 2017 elections. They are also calling for Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to resign. Expectations for a breakthrough are low, with the Beijing-friendly Leung repeatedly insisting that he will not step down and that completely free elections are impossible for now. In an interview with foreign media outlets ahead of the talks, Leung suggested if universal suffrage were allowed, Hong Kong's poorer working class would gain too much power. Inequality and rising living prices are a key concern among student protesters, who are also angered at what they see as eroding freedoms resulting from China's rising influence. Hong Kong and Beijing authorities have declared the demonstrations to be illegal, but have largely allowed protesters to remain, despite several crackdowns in recent days. The latest violence occurred Sunday, when Hong Kong police clashed with protesters in the crowded Mong Kok district in an effort to clear demonstrator barricades on city streets. __________________________________________________________________ [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/hong-kong-protesters-authorities-set- for-talks/2490555.html References 1. http://www.voanews.com/content/hong-kong-protesters-authorities-set-for-talks/2490555.html