HONG KONG - Hong Kong's former Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa on Saturday called on protesting students here to end their Occupy movement and go back to classroom.

Tung also urged the students to pursue what they believe in through "lawful and rational" means, hoping the students would contribute to Hong Kong and China in the future.

Tung, who is also vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks in a statement in response to an open letter from the Federation of Students.

He said he had read the letter, but he thought what it said simply re-stated the students' well-known viewpoints which will not help resolve the current political impasse.

Tung said that the Central Government has a thorough understanding of the different views in Hong Kong, and the decision that the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress made on Aug. 31 on Hong Kong's political reform framework will not change.

The Federation of Students presented the letter to Tung's office Friday afternoon, expressing the hope that Tung would help arrange a meeting between student representatives and central government officials.