More than 30 Legislative Council (LegCo) members filed a collective petition on Monday demanding the pursuit of possible criminal liability charges against those who violated the law by storming into the LegCo building and interrupting the operation of the legislature last Friday. The perpetrators of this illegal act called it "Occupy LegCo". They forced their way into the building and injured at least one of the security guards in the process. This constitutes an act of brazen contempt for Hong Kong's rule of law. It should be dealt with according to the relevant criminal code.

The protesters who burst into the LegCo building were all members of radical opposition groups. They enjoy causing controversy, often with violent behavior, in interrupting lawful activities of other groups as well as government operations. Some of their leaders have previous convictions for disorderly conduct. One of them, "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung, was sent to jail on Monday after a judge rejected his appeal against a previous court ruling which had awarded him a four-month prison term. This earlier conviction was for leading a group of radical followers, who violently forced their way into a forum with violence, destroying private property, interrupting a meeting and injuring several people back in September 2011.

The rule of law is one of the fundamental principles of democracy and a cornerstone of Hong Kong's core values. There is nothing more insulting to the public wisdom as well as political ethics than some self-proclaimed "pan-democrats" deliberately breaking the law and trampling on other people's rights. By repeatedly challenging Hong Kong's rule of law with illegal behavior, "Long Hair" and his gang of like-minded political hoodlums have made a joke of democracy and human rights.

"Long Hair" and fellow radical politicians' election as LegCo members is a resounding slap in the face of democracy. How can we allow such people to be nominated as candidates for election to the post of Chief Executive? This is why the next stage of Hong Kong's constitutional reform must proceed in accordance with the Basic Law and in line with relevant decisions of the National People's Congress Standing Committee. Otherwise such radical politicians will only subject the city and its residents to more humiliation and misery if they are allowed to become more powerful than they are now.

It is time the authorities took legal action against political hooligans who routinely thumb their noses at our judicial system. Democracy relies on the rule of law to serve its true purpose. Therefore, the rule of law must be protected by all means necessary.

(HK Edition 06/10/2014 page9)