No one ever doubted that the Chinese authorities could clear protesters from Hong Kong’s streets if and when they chose. It hasn’t come to that. With support for the demonstration ebbing and the leaders of Occupy Central calling on the movement to stand down, the government may be congratulating itself for winning this battle without the need for further brutality. It would be deluding itself.
This is no win. The government has failed to recognize the complaints not just of the democracy activists but also of hundreds of thousands of ordinary Hong Kongers, who feel that their interests have been sacrificed to Beijing and its obedient circle of local cronies. This won’t be forgotten.
To see how little such supposed victories are worth, look at Tibet and Xinjiang, which remain deeply unsettled despite a massive security presence and outward calm. At least 175 people have died in attacks in Xinjiang in the past six months, including one last week that claimed 15 lives.
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