Carrie Lam 'helpless' over talks deadlock

Hong Kong government No 2 Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has expressed "disappointment and helplessness" over the collapse of talks with students, as unprecedented democracy protests which have rocked the city entered their third week.

Lam - who insisted a resumption of dialogue could happen only if the students accepted talks based on the controversial August ruling of the National People's Congress - made the comments as a flurry of late-night activity saw both sides dig their heels in amid growing concern in the business community over the economic impact of the Occupy Central movement.

Student leaders issued an open letter to President Xi Jinping in which they reiterated that their movement was not a "colour revolution" but a genuine call for universal suffrage and a government that is truly accountable for its actions. The letter also called on the president to "not be afraid of your people''.

The letter came just hours after student leader Agnes Chow Ting announced she was stepping down from her position as Scholarism spokeswoman due to exhaustion and stress.

Beijing is showing no signs of bending to pressure. A front-page editorial in yesterday's People's Daily turned up the heat on the Occupy Central movement, describing it as "unrest", the most serious charge laid at the student-led protest since it began three weeks ago.

"The SAR government is footing the bill for the Occupy Central unrest. The cost includes the extra expenditure on police, evaporating stock market values and the loss of tourism revenue during the 'golden week'," it said.