Loyalty pledge required for Hong Kong civil servants who started after national security law adopted

Under policy being rolled out on Monday, government workers will have to sign declaration or take an oath of allegiance to city

Rule will initially only apply to staff hired after the law came into effect but will eventually be expanded to include all 180,000 civil servants

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Published: 8:51pm, 10 Oct 2020Updated: 10:02pm, 10 Oct 2020

Hong Kong’s civil service will require all workers hired since the national security law came into effect to pledge loyalty to the city and anyone who refuses will be sacked, a top official has said.

The new policy, which will be introduced on Monday, will be extended in phases to cover all 180,000 government workers, according to Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen. But one union for government workers warned that some staff might have difficulty knowing when their opinions might cross the line.

The loyalty drive comes after members of the civil service took part in social unrest that erupted last year in response to an aborted extradition bill, prompting Beijing to call for greater national education among the ranks.

“To the new joiners in the government, we will issue a notice next Monday,” Nip told a radio programme on Saturday. “Civil servants who started their jobs on July 1 or later will have to sign such a declaration.”

Anyone who failed to meet the criteria would be fired, he said.

Under the national security law that took effect on June 30, residents who stand for election or assume public office must confirm in writing or take an oath to uphold the Basic Law and swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region [HKSAR]. The requirement is part of the broader effort by Beijing to target secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.