The Hong Kong government has sent out a letter urging all civil servants to steer clear of illegal activities during the Mid-autumn Festival and National Day holidays this week.

Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip wrote to all civil servants on Wednesday, a day after Beijing’s liaison office issued a warning to those planning to organize protests on National Day.

According to the letter, Nip started off by showing his gratitude to the civil service team in the government’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. He then reminded staffers to stay vigilant and keep up prevention measures during the holidays, cautioning them to avoid joining any activities that might violate ongoing prohibitions on public gatherings of more than four people.

As of the end of September, 46 civil servants had been suspended from work because they had been arrested or placed under police investigation, or were being prosecuted for allegedly taking part in illegal public activities, the letter showed.

Nip told civil servants that the internet was filled with distorted information encouraging the public to participate in the illegal protest on National Day. The government regarded the conduct of civil servants as highly important and had zero tolerance for those who violated the law, the minister said.

He believed that colleagues could tell right from wrong, abide by the law and observe the Civil Servants' Code of Conduct.

Protest organizers Civil Human Rights Front failed to get the green light from the police force to hold a march on Thursday to demand the return of 12 Hong Kong people detained in Shenzhen in mainland China.

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