Editorial | Keep culture of fear out of Hong Kong civil service
- Only a few employees may have quit in the wake of having to take an oath of allegiance, but the Hong Kong government should still closely monitor the morale and concerns of staff
The requirement for Hong Kong civil servants to take an oath or make a declaration of loyalty following the enactment of the national security law has been questioned by many. To the relief of the authorities, only a fraction of the 180,000 employees have refused to do so.
This has spared the civil service an exodus that could have hurt stability, but the move has highlighted some resistance within the establishment against what appears to be an increasingly assertive approach to governance. The government should closely monitor the morale and concerns of staff.
At least 25 of the 129 employees in question have resigned, while the remainder have been suspended from duties or dismissed under civil service regulations. Reasons for non-compliance, ranging from the alleged infringement of freedom of speech to potential conflicts with one’s nationality, were dismissed as unfounded by civil service minister Patrick Nip Tak-kuen.
However, these employees would rather lose their jobs than subject themselves to such perceived problems.
10:29
Civil service secretary Patrick Nip says ‘patriots’ needed within Hong Kong's government bureaucracy
The government has played down the allegiance issue, saying staff are expected to serve faithfully and to uphold the Basic Law anyway. But the decision to sack those who do not comply has raised questions as to whether it amounts to the imposition of an additional appointment condition.