Speaking during his meeting with the visiting delegation of Kowloon Federation of Associations in Beijing on Thursday, Wang Guangya, director of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, emphasized that Hong Kong people should reflect deeply on the aftermath of the "Occupy Central" campaign.

Indeed, as Hong Kong enters a reconciliation process after more than two months of unprecedented turmoil, it is worthwhile examining what has gone wrong with our city.

The first serious question to ask is: How could the illegal occupation of streets for 80 days take place in Hong Kong - a city strictly governed by the rule of law which has been a cornerstone for many of its successes. Democracy is perhaps a laudable goal for mankind, but the rule of law should never be compromised for the sake of democracy.

Equally important, Hong Kong people should examine the "One Country, Two Systems" policy. Many Hong Kong people have chosen to overemphasize "Two Systems" while ignoring "One Country".

Although Hong Kong returned to China 17 years ago, they still do not know where they stand, and have no sense of belonging to a nation. Worse than that, a bunch of radicals attempted to advance their insidious political agenda by providing "alternative interpretations" of the Basic Law, which led apolitical citizens to see things from a totally inaccurate perspective.

It is no wonder Zhang Rongshun, vice-chairman of the Legislative Affairs Commission under the country's top legislature, wisely pointed out a few days ago that Hong Kong needed "re-enlightenment" so as to correct many misunderstandings in this regard.

The universal suffrage issue - that sparked "Occupy" - is virtually linked to the relationship between the SAR and central authorities. This is in fact the biggest and most controversial political issue since the handover. This issue is not only about the electoral mechanism, but closely related to Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability, as well as the nation's security and sovereignty. The central government does not want to interfere in affairs that come under the autonomous jurisdiction of the SAR, but clearly universal suffrage is not something the city can decide on its own.

As such, an accurate, renewed understanding of the relationships between "One Country" and "Two Systems", and between the SAR and central government, could certainly help bridge the divide and narrow the differences in society. Thoroughly reading the Basic Law that governs HKSAR, consulting the white paper issued by the State Council in June, and understanding the framework on Hong Kong's political reform handed down by the top legislature in August, are all important steps towards that goal.

(HK Edition 12/19/2014 page7)