Hong Kong social workers convicted of national security offence will be struck off under new government proposal
- Labour and Welfare Bureau to put forward for discussion in Legislative Council next week a paper that would have social workers deregistered if convicted
- Pro-establishment lawmakers have sought tighter control over sector after some workers were involved in protests
Social workers convicted of a national security offence will be struck off under proposed legislative amendments put forward by the Hong Kong government.
Pro-establishment lawmakers have been pressing for tighter control over social workers, who have been criticised for their high-profile involvement in civil movements in recent years.
In a paper to be presented for discussion next Monday at a meeting of the Legislative Council’s welfare services panel, the government said it would seek to add offences “endangering national security” to the list of those that would “disentitle a person from being or continuing to be registered social workers”.
The national security law, imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong in June last year, criminalises acts of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces.
Article 9 of the law states that the government should strengthen “guidance, supervision and regulation over matters concerning national security, including those relating to … social organisations”.
