Hongkongers are used to storms. As they seemed to be indifferent towards disqualification and mass resignation, another superstorm that will affect every single person has been brewing.

In the Policy Address, Carrie Lam announced that oath-taking will be extended to all current civil servants. In the interview that followed, she disclosed more to test the waters. She suggested that according to the National Security Law, the oath-taking of “public officials” does not just end with civil servants. She quoted opinions suggesting that all public positions that “receive government salary and are granted government funding”, and is looking into the idea that staff of non-government-funded institutions such as the China Securities Regulatory Commission that has “public power” will have to swear support for the Basic Law and allegiance to the SAR government. Some patriotic people immediately lead the way in saying that teachers, lawyers, medical professionals, etc., should all take the oath.

Such logic implies that the oath-taking weapon can be extremely far-reaching, and Hong Kong will soon become the capital of sworn oaths. In the name of national security, the SAR is casting the spell of the incantation of the golden headband, an all-around ideological surveillance. The SAR government has oath-taking legalized, regularized, and weaponized. There are a few things to note:

Unexplained loyalty: The SAR government stated that the Basic Law requires all civil servants to perform their duties and be responsible to the Hong Kong SAR government; the Civil Service Code also states that civil servants must be “fully loyal” to the incumbent Chief Executive. This saying came from the British tradition of the colonial government. Yamen strong as iron, and officials flow like water. For the politically appointed officials, their power came from the people-elected government, which also represents public opinion. The so-called political neutrality of civil servants means that no matter which party rules, they will remain loyal to the people-elected representative. This is the righteousness of being a civil servant. When they are loyal to the leader, it means they are loyal to the people. However, Hong Kong only has the shell of “political neutrality”, for the leader does not represent public opinion, and the promise of a democratic election is nowhere in sight. There is no so-called “getting paid by the government”, because they are all tax money. How is it possible that the civil servants are fed by the people’s money, but have to service a government without the basis of public opinion? Moreover, you are required to take the oath, being paid back in your own coin, and guarantee loyalty?

The coverage of the scope: If it is said that “public services” must take the oath, then from kindergarten to college, all teachers will have to take the oath, the street cleaners must take the oath, and even Cathay Pacific that received relief funds from the government will have to ask its flight attendants to take the oath? Under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, there are more than a hundred “public institutions”, including private television stations, bus companies, and power companies. Do those employees have to swear oath too? If anyone who has public power must swear, then would the doctors empowered by the doctors to require compulsory testing of patients constitutes the exercise of public power too? And as such, broadcasters using the public waves, and bus companies using the public streets, are all using “public equipment”, are those exercises of public power as well?

Who to “determine” violations: To rectify civil servants, a whistle-blowing hotline can be set up to encourage people to tip off the officials at any time. With that, it looks like the Civil Service Bureau should establish a new position of “Disqualification (DQ) Director” to continue to review whether civil servants comply with their oaths. If the other “public officials” are to be reviewed as well, who is going to be the thought reviewer? Once this Pandora box is opened, Big Brother will rightfully watch over you. With a DQ Director for every industry, is your loyalty to be monitored at any moment?

Standard of loyalty: According to the spearheading patriots, even posting the “Our Times” protest slogan on social media platform constitutes issues, and can already be considered disloyal to the Basic Law. In fact, in Hong Kong today, even holding up four sheets of blank paper could get you arrested by the cops. People are always at fault. Once this goes into operation, you are the law, and the standards, everything as you wish.

A regime that is so greedy for power and so thirsty for love and loyalty is finding every possible way to develop a new mechanism for universal thought surveillance. Bypassing the judicial organ, it can find any arbitrary person to “legally determine” to fire you from public office. We can imagine that most will swallow their pride for a job, and reluctantly scribble their signature on the oath. They will put the golden headband on their heads with their own hands, and accept thought surveillance from now on. The DQ Director will invade your life and monitor your loyalty anytime and anywhere. The standard for such surveillance will also change at any moment according to the mood of those in power. If the DQ Directors are too busy, some party mouthpieces can help initiate struggle sessions on their behalf.

This set of taming mechanism will not get genuine support and obedience from the people, but the continuous whipping is to force you to kneel, kowtow, and beg for mercy. You say this is a fable? I say this is the future right in front of our eyes.

(Allan Au Ka-lun, veteran journalist)

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