China's Communist Party has warned Hong Kong protesters of "unimaginable consequences" if they continue with their pro-democracy demonstrations.
According to The Independent, the threat made in the party-run People's Daily shows the diminishing patience of the Chinese government toward protesters who have threatened to occupy government buildings unless the city's chief executive, Leung Chun-Ying, resigns immediately.
The country's State TV ran an editorial urging people to support the government's efforts to "deploy police enforcement decisively" and "restore the social order in Hong Kong as soon as possible".
During the 65th anniversary celebration of the People's Republic of China, Leung said at a flag-raising ceremony that the country was hopeful that all sectors of the community will work with the government in a peaceful, lawful, rational and pragmatic manner and make a big step forward in its constitutional development.
Rights groups are claiming that the Chinese authorities have detained over a dozen activists across the country and questioned as many as 60 others for expressing support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
Since the dramatic escalation of the protests last Sunday, several Chinese citizens have reportedly faced reprisals for voicing their support, the Express Tribune quoted the overseas-based advocacy group China Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), as saying.
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New York-based Amnesty International put the detention figure higher, saying at least 20 have been detained and another 60 called in for questioning.
The group called on Chinese authorities to release all those being detained for peacefully expressing their support for the protesters in Hong Kong.
Those detained include activist Wang Long, the CHRD said.
