Civil servants have 'unshirkable responsibility' to safeguard national security, says Ingrid Yeung

Civil servants “have an unshirkable responsibility” to safeguard national security and the authorities will further integrate national security and patriotic education into their existing training programs, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan said.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Yeung noted several important national security dates in the upcoming three months: the first anniversary of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, the tenth National Security Education Day on April 15, and the fifth anniversary of the Hong Kong National Security Law on June 30.

“Everyone has the obligation to safeguard national security, and civil servants have an unshirkable responsibility,” she said when referring to the updated Civil Service Code that stresses civil servants, as members of the executive branch, must prioritize national security in the execution of their duties under “one country, two systems.”

Yeung indicated that in the coming period, the Civil Service Bureau and the Civil Service College will further integrate national security and patriotic education into existing training programs. 

She stated this aims to deepen the understanding of all levels of civil servants regarding the constitutional order of the Special Administrative Region, the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, the Basic Law, the Hong Kong National Security Law, and topics related to the overall national security concept.

Yeung stated that she and all civil servants will continue to support the SAR government in safeguarding national security, enabling all sectors to focus on economic development, seek progress, and improve livelihoods in a secure and stable environment.

(Cheng Wong)