A dozen US congressmen and women have nominated Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Alex Chow Yong-kang, as well as Hong Kong’s “Umbrella Movement” for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

The Umbrella Movement began as “Occupy Central.” The movement severely violated Hong Kong’s laws and disturbed city order. Wong, Law and Chow were sentenced to jail terms from six to eight months. Wong was later given a second prison term of three months for contempt.

All these jail terms were not long and can be seen as minimum sentencing to maintain Hong Kong’s social stability. But the verdicts were hyped up by opposition forces. Wong and the others viewed their prison terms as mere gilding and continued to act arrogantly.

Sentencing Wong and barring pro-independence activists from participating in the legislative council election safeguarded the rule of law. More recently, Hong Kong’s charged political atmosphere appeared to have improved.

The nomination of Wong and the other two for a Nobel Peace Prize showed the US congressmen’s ill will toward China. They obviously want to send a signal that whoever opposes Beijing in Hong Kong will be supported by the US.

Wong is only 21 years old. The eldest of the three, Chow, is 27. Since Occupy Central, Wong has been hailed by the West as a democracy fighter.

At least this year, it is unlikely Wong or the other two will receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The political agenda behind the US congressmen’s nomination is too obvious and it would be a shame if the Norwegian Nobel Committee blindly followed their directive. When the committee awarded Liu Xiaobo the peace prize in 2010, China-Norway relations hit a freezing point. They only began thawing in the past two years. Norway might not want to ride that rollercoaster once more.

Even by Western standards, Wong and the others are too young. By nominating them for the Nobel Peace Prize, the West is adopting pets – and it looks ludicrous.

Recently Americans have been boycotting Chinese “infiltration.” The 12 congressmen and women are publicly interfering with Hong Kong’s affairs. Giving a peace prize to the leaders of street riots is against the original intention of the prize.

The US has no power to substantially change Hong Kong. Washington long ago lost the power to do whatever it wants. US protection of political antagonists was bound to deteriorate. The chance of a Chinese person benefiting from Washington’s largesse and becoming a useful political pawn will peter out all in good time. From a broader perspective, even in Hong Kong this is not the direction one should choose for a life.

Wong and the others have in fact become tools for anti-China forces in the West. Their views are too narrow. They cannot see the bigger trend of history and they are unable to rein in their childishness and selfishness. There is no honor to be found in pursing their wrongful path of betraying the interests of Hong Kong and the motherland.