National security law: Hong Kong labour minister says social workers board must join other public officials in taking oath of allegiance to city
- 15-strong board that regulates Hong Kong’s 27,000 social workers will be required to swear allegiance, labour minister says
- Law Chi-kwong insists Social Workers Registration Board members fall within definition of officials subject to the oath-taking requirement
Members of the body that regulates Hong Kong’s 27,000 social workers will be required to take an oath of allegiance to the city under a government plan aimed at safeguarding national security, according to the labour minister.
Law Chi-kwong, the secretary for labour and welfare, also said he wanted to clear up a common misconception that the Social Workers Registration Board was set up to protect the working rights of the profession.
According to the Social Workers Registration Ordinance, the board was formed to handle the registration of social workers as well as disciplinary matters.
Writing in his weekly blog published on Sunday, Law said: “Many people have misunderstandings about the law and thought its aim was to protect social workers’ rights. They see the board as a union.
“In fact, the board was set up in accordance with the law to oversee social workers and handle their registration. It is to protect the interests of society and those whom [social workers serve] ... The board is exercising a public power that comes from the law.”
As such, Law wrote, the board members should be considered “public officers” and “the requirements in the national security law regarding public office-holders should also apply to the board members”.
The national security law, imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong in June last year, criminalises acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.
