Rioters must be held accountable to restore order in Hong Kong

International conventions such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights explain what a "democratic society" is or should be. In general, a democratic society should be pluralistic and inclusive, and have space for different points of view, which should be expressed in a peaceful manner.

Since Hong Kong's return to China in 1997, the "one country, two systems" principle has helped yield universally acknowledged positive results. "One country, two systems" allows Hong Kong people to govern the special administrative region and enjoy a high degree of autonomy. Which makes the SAR a democratic and rule-based society.

However, the demonstrations that started in opposition to a bill to amend the SAR's extradition law soon turned violent, taking a heavy toll on the city. The demonstrations transformed into a seesaw battle between the police and radical protesters. And the violent demonstrators, who increasingly used gasoline bombs and attacked police officers, have undermined the rule of law in the city.