Taiwan\\\'s Ma voices support for HK protesters
Friday, 10 October 2014
TAIPEI: Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou Friday called on Beijing to "let some people go democratic first" as he expressed support for protesters who have paralysed parts of Hong Kong for nearly two weeks.
Taiwan has been watching closely the events in Hong Kong, where democracy activists are planning a fresh show of force Friday evening after talks with the city's government collapsed, deepening the political crisis in the Asian financial hub.
Ma, in a speech marking Taiwan's National Day, urged Beijing to "convert a crisis into opportunity" by fulfilling its promise to grant civil liberties in Hong Kong when former colonial power Britain handed the city back in 1997, according to a news agency.