Protests against parallel-goods traders ‘unacceptable’, says CY Leung

Protests against parallel-goods traders were unacceptable, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said, as he vowed to pay more effort to alleviating the disturbance brought by the traders to Hongkongers ahead of the Lunar New Year.

“The government has thought greatly about the disturbance brought by [the parallel-trading activities],” he told the press before the Executive Council meeting this morning. “But we cannot accept a small group of people voicing their dissatisfaction by attacking malls and creating a nuisance to society.”

The government would take prompt action against any illegal activities, he added.

Leung’s remarks came after hundreds of protesters gathered at Tuen Mun on Sunday to condemn the parallel-good traders. One police officer and 13 local people suffered minor injuries as protesters clashed with police. Ten protesters have been charged with taking part in an unlawful assembly.

The chief executive said the government’s joint panel would look into the parallel-goods trading problem in a holistic manner – such as from street management to the supply of goods – to alleviate its impact on the public.

Leung said the government had been taking measures against parallel-goods trading, such as barring non-permanent residents of Shenzhen from applying for a multi-entry permit under the individual travel scheme a few years ago, which could have allowed them to enter the city multiple times a day.