The Occupy Central movement, a proposed civil disobedience protest slated in July in Central, Hong Kong, for universal suffrage, received some non support from diamond companies. Lawrence Ma Yung-yi, chief executive of Lee Heng Diamond Group, that is an umbrella to almost a dozen companies in the diamond industry including MaBelle, Mabros and Falconer Jewellers, wrote a company email to his employees, referring to them as ‘children’ and asking them to join the anti-Occupy Central movement, and to see through the ‘hypocrisy’ of pro-democracy leaders, reports add.

In response, reports suggest an employee mentioned that political and official matters are different and that the boss has no reason to interfere in the political beliefs of an employee, reports say.

Ma is a member of the National People's Congress, been part of many election committees in Hong Kong. He is also founder and president of the Diamond Federation of Hong Kong.