Keep up pressure for democracy in Hong Kong, student leaders tell world summit

Student leaders behind the "umbrella movement" told a human rights summit in Geneva on Tuesday that the world must stay focused on the human rights situation in China and keep up the pressure on Beijing to allow more democracy in Hong Kong.

Federation of Students secretary general Alex Chow Yong-kang and his deputy, Lester Shum, also said they would not retreat or lose hope in the fight for genuine universal suffrage in the 2017 chief executive election.

The pair made the remarks at the annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, where they gave a presentation on the 79-day pro-democracy protests that gained worldwide attention last year.

The summit is organised by a coalition of 20 non-governmental organisations from around the world ahead of the United Nations Human Rights Council's main annual session, which starts next Monday. It is intended to influence the discussions at the UN session, which are dominated by governments.

"Only through continuous attention and movement can we press … for change in Hong Kong and China," Shum said. "We have no right to withdraw hope. We have no space to retreat. We must stay hopeful."

Chow listed the three most important tasks for Hongkongers as voting down the government proposal on political reform; uniting society; and cooperating with democracy movements in Taiwan, Macau and elsewhere.