[ad_1]
Hong Kong’s civil service will require that all workers hired since the national security law came into effect swear allegiance to the city and anyone who refuses will be fired, a senior official said.
The new policy, due to be introduced on Monday, will be expanded in phases to cover the government’s 180,000 workers, according to Civil Service Secretary Patrick Nip Tak-kuen. But a government workers union warned that some staff members might have a hard time knowing when their views might cross the line.
The loyalty campaign comes after members of the civil service participated in social unrest that erupted last year in response to an aborted extradition bill, prompting Beijing to call for more national education among the ranks.
Get the latest insights and analysis from our global impact newsletter on great stories originating from China.
“For new members of the government, we will issue an advisory next Monday,” Nip said on a radio show on Saturday. “Officials who began work on July 1 or later must sign said declaration.”
Anyone who doesn’t meet the criteria will be fired, he said.
Under the national security law that came into effect on June 30, residents running for election or taking public office must confirm in writing or take an oath to abide by the Basic Law and swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Kong. [HKSAR]. The requirement is part of Beijing’s broader effort to attack secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.
The policy will be expanded to include workers still serving their probationary period and, subsequently, all public officials. If staff hired before July 1 refuse to declare their loyalty, management would try to understand why, but the move would become a factor in deciding promotions and other professional developments, according to the minister.
“Adopting the Basic Law and swearing allegiance to the HKSAR is just a basic requirement,” Nip said, adding that violating the oath would be serious business.
“If you speak of a person who does not respect the Basic Law or does not pledge allegiance to the HKSAR, does that mean [that person] not compatible with the “one country, two systems” principle? he said, referring to the policy that guarantees the city a high degree of autonomy from mainland China. “Or is there a disagreement about Hong Kong being part of China?
New Hong Kong officials asked to behave or fire them
The politics is the latest formalization of a long-running crackdown on anti-government supporters in the ranks of the civil service. Nip told the Legislative Council in July that the personnel under his command would not be able to join the anti-government protests under the new requirements. In a letter delivered to the workers on September 30, the minister revealed that 46 officials had been suspended after being arrested or prosecuted for participating in illegal public events.
Lower-ranking workers could be required to sign the declaration, while higher-ranking personnel, such as permanent secretaries and department heads, might be required to take the oath, Nip said.
If the officials acted against their oath and broke the law, they would be prosecuted by the courts, the minister warned. The most serious case could involve a violation of national security law, and any convicted person would be removed from office as necessary.
Public officials are not allowed to join protests under new proposals, warns minister
“If their acts or speeches violate the civil service code and other regulations, then they will be handled in accordance with our disciplinary mechanism. Serious cases will entail dismissal, ”he said.
Public officials could express their opinions in the planning stages of public policy, but when the government had already made a decision on the way forward, the staff had the responsibility to implement the measures.
The director of the Hong Kong Federation of Civil Service Unions said that the new staff would have no choice but to stand in line. However, Leung Chau-ting suspected that most of the workers who joined the government would take the promise into account.
Leung said his focus was on existing staff worried about crossing a possible red line.
“When you present something that harms the interests of public officials, [unions] It will definitely fight it. When we do, does that mean we violate the rule? “he said, adding that officials must clearly explain the limits.
This article The pledge of allegiance required for Hong Kong officials that began after the national security law was adopted first appeared in the South China Morning Post
For the latest news from the South China Morning Post, download our mobile app. Copyright 2020.
