Editorial | Hong Kong hawker case calls for show of compassion
- Control officers may have only been doing their job and enforcing the law, but the plight of 90-year-old woman has touched city hearts
The job of a hawker control officer is not as simple as it sounds. Officers may be accused of dereliction of duty in the wake of public complaints against unauthorised vendors and environmental nuisance, or overzealous enforcement actions, as in the case of an elderly licensed hawker during an operation this week.
The distraught 90-year-old woman pleaded for a second chance, saying she was only taking a toilet break and had briefly left her mobile chestnut cart to someone who was not licensed. She later told the Post she had actually left the scene and gone home as it was near closing time, then rushed back in a taxi upon being informed that her cart was being confiscated.
It will be up to authorities to determine the exact circumstances, but the confrontation with officers went viral on social media, highlighting not only issues concerning hawker policy and enforcement, but also the plight of elderly workers.
Currently, authorised itinerant hawkers are not allowed to employ assistants or lease out their licences, with violations liable to a maximum fine of HK$10,000 and six months in jail. But in the era of social media, the verdict of the public is reflected in the outpouring of sympathy and support for the woman.
This is not the first time authorities have aroused concern with their enforcement actions. Footage showed a male officer warning the woman against obstructing the execution of official duties, while his colleagues warned bystanders not to cause a breach of the peace.