Song in Hong Kong hearts

The pro-democracy students who have brought Hong Kong to a standstill with a mass sit-in have an anthem they sing day and night.

It is from the musical adaptation of Les Misérables, which ends with government troops murdering protesters.

"The song Do You Hear the People Sing? describes the exact situation in Hong Kong," said a spokesman for Occupy Central, the group behind the protests that has adopted the song as its anthem.

"Beijing is not listening to the voice of the people and we are trying to get our message out but no one is listening," she said.

In May, a volunteer in the movement penned a Cantonese version of the song, and recorded a music video starring a young girl that duly went viral.

Chan Kin-man, one of the founders of the Occupy Central in Hong Kong, said no established artists were willing to sing the song for fear of government reprisals.

"Hand in hand, we fight hard for the right to vote for our future," the girl sings. One shot shows her holding her hand over her mouth and holding a teddy bear embroidered with the words "Keep Quiet".

"Why is our dream still just a dream?" the unnamed girl sings.

Protest leaders are confident they can muster massive crowds today for the National Day public holiday, which this year marks the 65th anniversary of the founding of communist China.

"I think there will be a massive turnout, over 100000 people tonight and leading into National Day," hedge fund manager and Occupy Central activist Ed Chin said.

The demonstrations, the most intense civil unrest Hong Kong has experienced since its 1997 handover from British rule, were sparked by Beijing's decision in August to restrict who can stand for the city's top post.