Law pledge push for civil servants

Pro-Beijing lawmakers have demanded that civil servants pledge to defend the Basic Law, saying many of them lack understanding of the mini-constitution, especially Article 22.

In responding to the demand, civil service secretary Joshua Law Chi-kong said the government is looking into the issue and promised a progress report on the study before the end of this legislative year.

At a public service panel meeting yesterday, New People's Party chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee said the three contradictory statements issued by the government on Saturday showed it and its officials do not understand the Basic Law.

"If we recruited a lot of civil servants but they don't understand the Basic Law or one country, two systems, or quote from it out of context, and if they then put up a Lennon Wall in government departments, or take part in protests with colleagues with or without permission, then what should we do?" she asked.

Steven Ho Chun-yin, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said many of them did not uphold the principle of political neutrality.

He said civil servants should be told how to handle issues like independence for Hong Kong.

Law said Basic Law training is necessary for all, not just civil servants.

Tam Yiu-chung, a National People's Congress standing committee member, said the SAR government might not have grasped the Basic Law and the structure of mainland authorities, but the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office and the liaison office have now clarified the situation.

Tam said he is always of a mind the liaison office is not an organization set up under Article 22 as the two offices are authorized by Beijing, representing it in dealing with Hong Kong affairs and to monitor the implementation of the Basic Law.

Asked why no one corrected the SAR government in the past when it said the liaison office has to comply with Article 22, Tam said people's focus was on whether the office had interfered in the SAR's affairs. There was less concern about the structural issue.

Executive Councillor and barrister Ronny Tong Ka-wah said the administration's understanding of the Basic Law is quite different from Beijing's.

If the government wants to avoid arguments on the issue, it should not say anything, he said, adding it was disappointing to see the government had changed statements on the liaison office's role several times.