Lam talks of the firing line

It is an "employment issue" for the government in any decision on whether to dismiss newly recruited civil servants if they are arrested and charged for taking part in protests, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said.

Lam denied that would involve a presumption of guilt, saying officials had reason to dismiss people during their probation period if an adverse affect of the SAR government was involved.

The civil service bureau issued new guidelines to the heads of departments on Friday.

They state that department heads can terminate a probation period if a person is arrested or charged with offenses related to involvement in unlawful public activities.

And they have to ensure probationers will be good enough to continue to serve Hong Kong as an inalienable part of China, Lam said yesterday before an Executive Council meeting.

Once a person is confirmed, she added, rules and regulations "make it very difficult for us to dismiss a permanent employment civil servant."

Lam, who will deliver the policy address on October 14, also spoke of being shocked that someone would suggest the national security law might be "weaponized."

She said: "The national security law is a legal provision to protect national and Hong Kong security."

But in the past year, she added, "the financial system has been weaponized to use for sanctions, and social media has been weaponized to use for doxxing."

These comments follow former secretary for transport and housing Anthony Cheung Bing-leung saying that if authorities treat general public security or public order issues as matters of national security there would be a risk the legislation could be "weaponized."

Lam also wrote on Facebook yesterday that she has been serving the government for 40 years and the past year was the most difficult challenge she has ever faced with attacks being directed at her.

She told state media on Monday that being a main target of US sanctions has caused inconvenience as she might be restricted from using financial services or credit cards provided by US businesses.

But the restrictions were "meaningless," Lam added, as attacks from critics of the national security law show that the legislation is effective.