When will the students and other youths involved in the current protests finally come to the realization that they have been completely duped by the cunning plotters who incited them to cause such disruption to Hong Kong's daily life? The fact is that they have been led "up the garden path" by the smooth talking provocateurs who fired up their immature feelings to the extent that they joined forces with the "Occupy Central" campaign and six weeks later are still jamming up traffic around Admiralty and along several blocks of Mong Kok.

We implore the protesters to take careful note of the statement made by President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Sunday, making clear that the central government "fully affirms and supports" the Hong Kong SAR Government's current efforts to maintain social order and safeguard the rule of law as a foundation of stability in Hong Kong. Xi added that political reform in Hong Kong must follow the principle of "One Country, Two Systems" introduced when sovereignty over the Special Administrative Region was transferred to China on July 1, 1997.

The implications of these statements are obvious. A policy of patience has been adopted so far in the hope that the troublemakers in Hong Kong will come to their senses, end their blockades and permit the streets to be restored to their normal use.

But that does not mean the authorities patience will continue indefinitely, especially once the current Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit concludes in Beijing. In the last few days Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama have been visiting Beijing for the summit along with the heads of the 23 APEC member states and other associates, who represent 40 percent of the world's population and are responsible for 44 percent of its trade. Altogether 1,500-plus CEOs and leading intellectuals and businessmen from the APEC community have been meeting in Beijing to decide on the way forward on such important subjects as advancing regional economic integration, promoting innovative development among APEC countries and bolstering the integration of regional members' economies.

For Beijing's city authorities, the APEC Forum is undoubtedly the highest profile event it has hosted since the tremendously successful Beijing Olympic Games six years ago. Stringent measures were introduced to limit air pollution from nearby factories and the capital's often congested road traffic along with tight security to ensure the safety of all delegates and their staff.

Observers point out that for some time the central government had painstakingly dovetailed arrangements to guarantee the smooth progression of this important Asian forum in the capital, and in such circumstances the last thing on anybody's mind were the recent disruptions in Hong Kong. Moreover, had the situation in Hong Kong become violent, there might have been repercussions that could have affected the smooth progress of the APEC Forum.

However, once the APEC event is over and things return to normal in the capital, the period of official patience with the Hong Kong protesters might have to end, and a firmer line be taken over the ongoing disruptions.

It is quite unrealistic for the demonstrators to continue their illegal actions, which have caused considerable harm to Hong Kong's solid reputation and economy, and which promise to have a long-lasting knock-on effect on the tourist sector.

The worst thing that could possibly happen is for them to attempt to stretch official patience to breaking point, whereupon violent clashes could break out because of their intransigence.

Let us now consider the future of the students who form the majority of the protesters. Is it right that when their protest finally ends, they should be allowed to resume their university studies as if nothing had happened? Moreover, since most, if not all, have student loans, would it also be right that taxpayers should continue to support their tertiary education?

The author is a seasoned observer of Asian affairs.

(HK Edition 11/12/2014 page10)