HONG KONG -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Thursday announced that oaths taken by 16 District Council (DC) members on Oct 8 were invalid.

The HKSAR government held the oath-taking ceremony for DC members from the Tsuen Wan District Council, the Tuen Mun District Council, the Yuen Long District Council, the Kwai Tsing District Council and the Islands District Council at North Point Community Hall on Oct 8.

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 8 that of the 68 DC members who took oaths that day, the oaths taken by 51 were valid. As the oath administrator had questions about the validity of the oaths taken by the other 17 DC members, letters were issued to the DC members concerned on Oct 8 to require them to provide additional information. Among them, one tendered resignation on Oct 11.

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.