For the sake of diplomatic niceties, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor stopped short of being blunt in her condemnation of a group of British parliamentarians who interfered in Hong Kong's internal affairs, saying only that their action is "undesirable" when she was asked by the media on Monday to comment on that matter.

Immediately before this, nine leading activists of the illegal "Occupy Central" campaign went on trial on Monday.

Eight British members of parliament put forward a motion in the United Kingdom Parliament, criticizing the legal process against these nine activists as well as other "Occupy" lawbreakers. The motion urged the British government to raise the matter with the special administrative region government and consider "further action".

Conceivably, members of the local opposition camp cheered the UK parliamentary motion, which came after Civic Party Chairman Alan Leong Kah-kit and Democratic Party founding chairman Martin Lee Chu-ming peddled their Hong Kong stories around Europe last week in their latest attempt to mobilize their external allies and advance their agenda.

But they are advised not to get carried away. In colluding with foreign allies to attack Hong Kong's judicial system, they are undermining the city's rule of law and judicial independence - part of our much cherished core values.

Legal action against the "Occupy" activists and other protesters was taken after the secretary for justice meticulously considered all the merits and demerits. The prosecutions are the results of prudent decisions made by legal professionals after months (or even years) of careful study. They are considered necessary just to safeguard Hong Kong's rule of law.

Members of the local opposition camp and their foreign allies including China-bashers are fond of accusing Beijing of undermining the Hong Kong SAR's rule of law. If they still find the need to promote their political causes under the guise of democracy and keep their slogan of "safeguarding Hong Kong's judicial independence" and all that, they should let our judges do the job they are supposed to do.

The "Occupy" leading activists and other participants may or may not be found guilty of the crimes they are charged with, but, whatever the result, they will do little to reverse the harm the 79-day illegal protest in 2014 inflicted on the city, not least the toxic ideas which "Occupy" ringleaders have beaten into some young people's heads that breed contempt for the law. It will take years to mend these broken social fabrics.

(HK Edition 11/20/2018 page8)