Hawker control squads have been asked to enforce the law with sensitivity and 'proportionality' after issuing a summons to an elderly woman selling nail clippers and combs in Kwun Tong, which sparked fierce public criticism.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has yet to study a squad report before deciding if it will prosecute the 74-year-old woman for hawking without a licence.
At one point during the Tuesday incident, the woman, who suffers from hypertension and recently had cataract surgery, got down on her knees and begged the officers for mercy.
Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor yesterday wrote to the department's director, Cheuk Wing-hing, urging the department to end what it calls a draconian policy against hawkers. The group said a prosecution and confiscation of goods would be a serious blow to the elderly woman's financial situation and the dignity of the poor. It also urged the department to make public its investigation into the case.
A senior official said the department was concerned about the incident and had reminded frontline staff of a guideline which allows for discretion when dealing with elderly people and disabled illegal hawkers.
Under the guideline, a warning should be given before issuing a summons to illegal hawkers who do not sell cooked food, or are not hawking at one of the 240 barred spots such as MTR exits and busy streets.