HONG KONG - The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Friday announced that oaths taken by 16 District Council (DC) members on Oct 4 were invalid.

The HKSAR government held the oath-taking ceremony for DC members from the North District Council, the Tai Po District Council, the Sai Kung District Council and the Sha Tin District Council at North Point Community Hall on Oct 4.

During the ceremony on that day, the DC members present took oaths individually that they would uphold the Basic Law of the HKSAR of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and bear allegiance to the HKSAR of the PRC. The oath-taking was administered by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Caspar Tsui, who was authorized by the Chief Executive as the oath administrator.

The oath administrator determined on Oct 4 that of the 50 DC members who took oaths that day, the oaths taken by 34 were valid. As the oath administrator had questions about the validity of the oaths taken by the other 16 DC members, letters were issued to the DC members concerned on Oct 4 to require them to provide additional information.

After considering the written replies from the DC members concerned and all relevant information, the oath administrator, based on the principles laid down by the Interpretation of Article 104 of the Basic Law of the HKSAR of the PRC by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the relevant legal provisions, determined that the oaths taken by the 16 DC members were invalid.