A social worker who protested against the government's plans to reform the industry licensing board said he believed he had been removed from the body's committee.

A social worker protests against the proposal to register social workers and asks lawmaker Tick Chi-yuen to respond to the government's accusations outside the government building on May 29, 2024. — Part-time social worker Eddy Tse protests against proposed reforms to the Social Workers Licensing Authority outside Government House on May 29, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP

Industry veteran Eddy Tse told HKFP on Monday that his name was missing from the updated composition of the Social Workers Registration Council's Disciplinary Committee. listwhich the government announced last Saturday.

Jie said he had been a member of the panel, which reviews complaints against social workers, since 2020. He added that the board had not notified him of this before his alleged removal.

Last week, local media reported that Jackie Chen, a social worker awaiting a second trial on charges related to the 2019 riots, had been removed from the list. Chen has pleaded not guilty. and was acquitted in 2020, but Now a retrial is pending in December after the government appealed.

In July, Hong Kong's opposition-free legislature Bill passed giving government appointees majority at the Social Worker Registration Board, which is responsible for checking the qualifications of the city's social workers. Authorities said the move was necessary to “better protect national security.”

Hong Kong lawmakers resume debate on the proposed internal security law required by Article 23 of the Basic Law on March 19, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. — Hong Kong's Legislative Council. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Before the bill was passed, Jie organized a petition of two people outside the government building, calling the changes “political interference.” He and other social work veterans then conducted a surveywhich revealed that the overwhelming majority of social workers were convinced that the reform would undermine the independence of their profession.

Tse told HKFP he did not believe his actions should justify what he saw as his exclusion from the committee. “If that is really the case, it feels like retaliation,” he said in Cantonese.

The new list also stated that membership on the committee was in effect “until otherwise notified,” a departure from previous practice. Before the reorganization, the committee's membership was renewed every three years.

HKFP has approached the Social Workers Registration Board for comment.

The government's restructuring of the Social Workers Registration Board changed the body's composition, increasing the percentage of government-appointed board members from 40 percent to more than 60 percent. In recent years, all members elected by their peers have come from the city's pro-democracy camp.

The Social Workers Registration Board. Photo: Kelly Ho/HKFP.

The amended bill also prohibits people convicted of crimes against national security and “other serious crimes” from serving as social workers.

Before the bill was passed by the Legislative Council, seven of the eight elected council members resigned. A new council was introduced in July, two days after the bill was passed. No elections were held to replace the resigning members, meaning the council is now made up almost entirely of government appointees.

“Problems with the image”

Herman Hui, a lawyer appointed to chair the new board, said in a statement: interview On Saturday, iCable reported that the body had removed three to five people from the disciplinary committee due to “image issues.”

“It doesn’t matter who has problems with their image, [our] “There are doubts about them – they were not added to the list,” he said in Cantonese.

Herman Hui. File photo: Hong Kong Professional Alliance of Social Services website Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Limited.

When the interviewer mentioned Chen as one of the social workers removed from the panel, Hui said that although she had not been convicted of causing trouble, those involved in the disciplinary hearing might feel it was unfair to have their case handled by someone who was on trial.

“To prevent such situations from arising, [we thought] “Why not just exclude people whose image might make others feel they are not very pure?” he said.

Hui added that since the council began work two months ago, it has deregistered two or three social workers. Their cases may not involve crimes against national security, he said.

He denied that there were cases where social workers were involved in cases related to the 2019 protests and riots but were not prosecuted and their licences were revoked.

Hui said the board was also separately considering revoking the licenses of about 10 social workers, including people involved in rioting and unlawful gatherings.

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