The street view of Hong Kong Photo: VCG

Civil servants in Hong Kong have to be loyal to the regional government, said Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, at a press conference Tuesday morning when asked whether local civil servants in their probationary period would be fired if they take part in illegal gatherings. 

"The regional government has high standards for local civil servants. Not only are their performances taken into consideration, but their personal actions should accord with norms," Lam said, noting that civil servants have to be loyal to the regional government. 

According to data previously released by the Hong Kong regional government, 43 civil servants were arrested between February and April this year during the anti-extradition bill protests. It is not clear how many of them were in their probationary period.

Hong Kong media reported in early July that Hong Kong Customs authorities planned to remove three officers who were arrested for allegedly participating in an illegal gathering on July 1. 

The three officers, two males and one female, were suspended after the arrest. The three had been in their posts for less than three years, which means that they were still in their probationary period.