Hong Kong Protest Founders To 'Surrender'

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The three founders of Hong Kong's Occupy movement say they will "surrender" to police, who they accused of being "out of control".

Occupy Central leader Benny Tai praised the bravery of the pro-demonstrators protesters, but urged them to leave "this dangerous place".

"As we prepare to surrender, we three urge the students to retreat - to put down deep roots in the community and transform the movement," he said.

"Surrendering is not an act of cowardice, it is the courage to act on a promise. To surrender is not to fail, it is a silent denunciation of a heartless government."

The professor said the movement would now take a new direction to promote civil disobedience, including through education and a fresh social charter.

He told a news conference that the trio would hand themselves into police on Wednesday and they were prepared to "face all consequences".

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Gallery: Violent Clashes In Hong Kong

A police officer uses pepper spray while clashing with pro-democracy protesters close to the chief executive's office in Hong Kong

A protester who was pepper-sprayed is helped by volunteer rescuers

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Hong Kong police use batons and pepper spray to push back thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators in the early hours of Monday. Continue through for more pictures

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A pro-democracy protester holds an umbrella as he walks in a tunnel blocked by protesters

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Mr Tai, fellow academic Chan Kin-man and Baptist minister Chu Yiu-ming founded the Occupy Central civil disobedience group in early 2013 to press for political reform.

But the trio have increasingly taken a backseat as more radical student groups come to the fore.

One of those student group's leaders, Joshua Wong, has since become the teenage face of the movement.

Mr Wong, 18, and two young female members of his Scholarism group went on an "indefinite" hunger strike late on Monday.

"We are hoping that after the hunger strike we have a chance to speak with government officials openly - then there will be a chance to solve this Hong Kong problem," Mr Wong told reporters 12 hours into the fasting.

"We would like to put the emphasis on restarting the political reform process."

The hunger strike came after the protesters clashed with police late on Sunday in one of the worst nights of violence since rallies started on Hong Kong's streets more than two months ago.

Officers fired pepper spray at students as they broke through police lines and occupied a major road outside the city's legislature, forcing civil servants to stay at home on Monday morning.

Embattled Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying, who demonstrators want to resign, told reporters there would be "resolute action" if the demonstrators returned.

Mr Leung has also urged the student protesters to look after themselves as temperatures drop in the city.

"I hope the students that are participating in the hunger strike can take care of their health, especially when the weather is getting colder," he told reporters.

The protests have also caused a diplomatic row between the UK and China, after a group of British MPs were banned from visiting Hong Kong.

China said their planned trip to the former colony was "overtly confrontational".

But Prime Minister David Cameron warned China it was "mistaken" and "counterproductive" to ban the visit.

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