Hong Kong civil servants employed from July 1 to be required in writing to swear allegiance, uphold Basic Law
- Proposed rules also apply to serving officers with duties classified as ‘crucial’ or ‘sensitive’
- Previous requirement covered only principal officials and those under judiciary
All Hong Kong civil servants employed from July 1 will be required in writing to swear allegiance to the city and uphold its mini-constitution, with the rule applying also to serving officers whose duties are deemed “crucial” or “sensitive”.
The proposed requirements, which the Civil Service Bureau said aligned with the new national security law, will also cover all serving civil servants recommended for promotion to a higher rank or a transfer to another grade.
Article 6 of the new law, which seeks to criminalise acts of secession, subversion of state power, terrorism and collusion with foreign and external forces, states that a Hong Kong resident who stands for election or assumes public office shall confirm in writing or take an oath to uphold the Basic Law and swear allegiance to the Special Administrative Region (SAR).
The government will also consider a mechanism to handle cases of non-compliance.
Opposition lawmakers have expressed fears that the measures, set to be discussed at a meeting of the Legislative Council’s panel on civil service on Friday, would create “white terror” among civil servants.