In response to media enquiries on a further social media post issued by a civil service staff union, a Government spokesman made the following statement today (January 3):
      
     The Government reiterated that the staff union concerned should not ignore the facts and make unscrupulous criticisms against the Police's decision to end the procession on January 1 earlier. The fact is that the Police made the decision having regard to public safety considerations.
      
     The Government would also like to reiterate that, as clearly stated in the Civil Service Code, civil servants are required to comply with political neutrality.  No matter what their own political beliefs are, civil servants shall serve the Chief Executive and the Government of the day with total loyalty and to the best of their ability. When civil servants express their views, they should ensure that their views would not give rise to any conflict of interest with their official duties, and would not be perceived as compromising the important principle of maintaining impartiality and political neutrality which they should uphold when discharging their duties.  If civil servants breach the code, the Government will deal with it in a serious manner in accordance with the established mechanism.

     At this difficult moment, the Government urges all civil servants to stay united and render full support to the Government's priority task of ending chaos and violence.

Ends/Friday, January 3, 2020
Issued at HKT 21:33

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