Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Court pronounced judgments on the nine activists in the Occupy Central Movement. Tai Yiu-ting, Chan Kin-man and Chu Yiu-ming received the longest jail terms of 16 months, but Chu could have his sentence suspended for two years. The verdict may be a judicial summary of the movement and exert long-term influence.

Tai, Chan and Chu refused to show repentance. Their sensational stand might deceive some Hongkongers, but history shows that the 79-day-long movement that started in September 2014 has been destructive to Hong Kong’s development.

Rule of law is Hong Kong’s core value. Activists in the movement believed their acts were illegal but just, trying to absolve themselves of guilt. They were leading Hong Kong to an evil situation in which value judgments override law. They may deceive some people for a while, but they cannot kidnap the Asian financial center in the long run and impose irrational ‘parapolitical’ thoughts on Hongkongers.

Radical leaders of the movement directed their actions against the Chinese central government. They distorted one country, two systems and hoped Western interests would interfere in Hong Kong society. But they overestimated their ability to shake Hong Kong’s constitutional order. They were found guilty, which sends radicals a strong message to abide by the law.

Everyone should cherish Hong Kong’s rule of law. The radical opposition destroys the rule of law on a false pretence of democracy, which must be repressed. The West doesn’t really care about Hong Kong. Out of their own interests, they want Hong Kong’s radical activists to stir up extreme opposition against the whole country. Nobody in Hong Kong should be subjected to those external pressures.

Hong Kong’s system has been clarified in the basic law of Hong Kong. The Chinese central government undoubtedly has the final say in one country, two systems. The central government and Hongkongers’ fundamental interests are consistent, which is to ensure Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and improve people’s livelihood.

But the extreme opposition wants Hong Kong to break through basic law and to bend to Western interests. This is completely unreasonable and unrealistic.

In recent years, irrationality and naivety have ebbed away in Hong Kong. The court’s judgment of the nine activists may be a milestone in Hong Kong’s maturity.

Hong Kong must develop faster and quicker than neighboring economies, which justifies its return to the motherland. The whole country’s support is important, but Hong Kong’s own efforts are more decisive.

It is strategically meaningful to stop some people from messing up Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a free port, which makes it easier to infiltrate. Now that some Western interests have targeted Hong Kong, it is harder for Hong Kong society to focus on economic prosperity.

If opposition parties can freely implement political extremism with Western support, Hong Kong will be completely messed up. However, Hong Kong alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of its future prosperity. The whole country has to shoulder it. Other Asian economies are responsible for their own chaos and decline. But Hong Kong is different.

Hong Kong society still hasn’t fully understood this. It is an arduous task to improve Hong Kong’s governance.