The Hong Kong government will start the procedures for all 180,000 civil servants to pledge their loyalty to the Special Administrative Region and its mini-constitution next month, according to the civil service chief.

All civil servants will be informed in detail next month about the arrangements involved in making their pledges of allegiance, Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip told the mainland Chinese media outlet Shenzhen Satellite TV.

Those who refuse to sign the declaration will be given a chance to explain their position, but officials may still consider dismissing them in the end, Nip said. “This will be about whether or not they are suitable to continue to carry out their duties in the civil service,” he said.

Civil servants who sign the declaration will face disciplinary or legal actions if they violate the pledges, Nip added.

Beijing has tightened its control over Hong Kong’s politics after enacting a national security law in the former British colony in June. Last year, thousands of civil servants joined mass protests against the government’s extradition bill.

Nip said civil servants constitute the government’s backbone and represent an important part of the political system. Hence, they have the fundamental responsibility to uphold the Basic Law and pledge loyalty to the government, he said.

Even senior civil servants, such as department heads and permanent secretaries, will need to take the oath, and some have asked to do so as soon as possible, Nip said.

In recent months many civil servants’ groups have expressed strong support for the new requirements, Nip added.

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