Hong Kong protest leaders denied travel

Three leaders of the Hong Kong protests were denied travel to Beijing on Saturday. The trio of students had hoped to bring their demands for free elections to Chinese leaders as part of their drive for greater democracy.

According to Lester Shum, the Deputy Secretary General of the Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS), airline officials informed the three leaders -- Nathan Law (Left), Eason Chung (Right) and Alex Chow (Middle) -- that their permits used for travel to the mainland had been cancelled by the Chinese authorities. The permit, which is issued by mainland authorities, allows Hong Kong residents free travel within mainland China. However, some of Hong Kong's pro-democracy figures have been denied access to the country in the past.

Prior to being turned back, HKFS leader Alex Chow said, "Dialogue is important for solving the current [situation] but it depends on whether Beijing has the initiative to open talks with students."

Law, Chung and Chow were greeted by supporters flourishing yellow umbrellas -- a symbol of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, which has also been dubbed The Umbrella Revolution or Umbrella Movement as a result.

by Kevin Andrews

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