Hong Kong, Asia’s world known trade hub, had started a non-violent protest to fight for democracy following the central government’s instistance in screening candidates running for chief executive.

This decision was made on Aug. 31 that forced all candidates running for Hong Kong’s chief executive, the equivalent of a mayor, to be screened beforehand by Beijing, the nation’s capital.

This caused  an immediate outbreak of discontent among Hong Kong’s citizens, who decided to occupy the affluent Central district in protest.

The occupation is known as the Umbrella Movement because the protesters used umbrellas to protect themselves from the police force’s pepper spray and tear gas.

The occupation consisted of people from a wide range of the Hong Kong society.

The two main camps are Occupy Central with Love and Peace, mostly middle-aged, politically experienced, and self-restrained people, and the  student associations, which are more idealistic and headstrong.

Hong Kong should not secede to Beijing’s idea of screening chief executive candidates because further involvement from the central government will only result in Hong Kong’s complete loss of democracy.

Li Fei, a senior Chinese official, suggested that screening candidates was necessary to ensure the potential chief executive “loves China, loves Hong Kong and will safeguard the country’s sovereignty, security and development interests.”

That is a complete lie. It is because the interest of Beijing is Hong Kong’s economics. Hong Kong has the second largest stock exchange in all of Asia, and its currency is the eighth most traded in the world.

Beijing wants to preserve Hong Kong’s economics, but at the same time it has to deal with Hong Kong’s democratic ideas and freedom of press, which is virtually non-existent in mainland China because of heavy censorship and an oppressive central government.

Hong Kong is its own identity and shouldn’t have any towering figure watching over it. Its economy is booming because it is free.

Hong Kong has the highest economic freedom in the world surpassing Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, according to the Index of Economic Freedom by the Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal.

Although I do admire Hong Kong’s effort in protesting, I do not see any signs of success for this protest. Hong Kong doesn’t have the time to waste with Beijing.

Every second past is money lost for corporations operating at Central district. This protest will only scare off foreign investors, causing Hong Kong’s economy to decline, not China’s.

A growing population in Hong Kong have already started to protest the occupation by gathering around protest sites chanting, “Hong Kong hates you all.” Others have taken more extreme measures by destroying medical supplies, and electrical equipments.

The inevitable downfall of the protest is a pity.

Many of the protesters claimed they are willing to stay as long as possible until democracy is granted, but how long can they continue the occupation?

Majority of people still need a salary to survive. Students still need to go to classes for an education.

People can’t just occupy a place, and live there forever. It simply doesn’t work.

The silver lining in this protest is Hong Kong has successfully told the world that its has a strong desire for democracy and  has gathered noteworthy media attention from all around the world.

Hopefully this will evoke citizens of China to realize that a totalitarian government is no longer contextual practical in the 21st century.