Pledge Isn't A Sword Over Civil Servants' Heads: Nip

Civil Service Secretary Patrick Nip says if government employees genuinely accept the content of a declaration form pledging allegiance to the SAR then they should not feel threatened by it.

His comment comes amid concerns that the requirement will stifle free speech, with critics describing the declaration as a sword hanging over people’s heads.

Hundreds of thousands of civil servants were given four weeks to sign a declaration promising to uphold the Basic Law, pledge allegiance to the Hong Kong SAR, be dedicated to their duties and responsible to the government.

The deadline for them to return the form is February 18, and those who fail to comply could face the sack.

The government has refused to give specific examples of what would constitute a breach of the oath, saying only that the four offences under the national security law and any acts that "aim to undermine the government and the governance of Hong Kong" would be seen as violations.

In an interview with RTHK, Nip said the declaration is just a confirmation process, as those responsibilities already existed from the very first day people joined the civil service.

When asked if the declaration is retrospective and whether civil servants could be held accountable for their views expressed on social media in the past, such as any anti-government comments or calls for the "liberation of Hong Kong", the civil service minister said "it depends".

"Whether it's a breach of the oath, we will look at if there were any laws or regulations had been broken. So if those were involved, we have mechanisms to follow," he said, adding that officials would also look at acts widely reported by the media.

As to whether civil servants can express their views on political matters outside work or criticise state leaders, Nip would only say that there are limits to freedom of speech.

"If we acknowledge Hong Kong as part of the country, civil servants as part of the political system, we do our job to better implement the 'One country, Two systems' principle … If you think of it this way, there's no such thing as crossing the line," he said.