Sympathy amongst local Internet users poured in after footage was released by the Chinese online media outlet Macau Concealers yesterday showing allegedly illegal vendors selling beverages and food to immigrant workmen at the Studio City Macau construction site.
During an on-site visit yesterday, two vans were seen pulling up right outside the worksite’s second gate at around 5:30 p.m., a time when the workers, most of them mainlanders, go off duty. A total of three vendors were touting their products, chiefly drinks, lunch boxes, bread and snacks, neatly placed inside the vehicles.
About four meters away was a private car allegedly carrying two police agents, one of whom was filming a video of the crowd. Ten minutes later, police officers arrived at the entrance and removed one of the vans, while another van is believed to have been left unattended as its owners fled the scene. Behind the wheel of the confiscated vehicle was an English-speaking South Asian driver.
“Basically there are buckets and boxes of rice placed there every day,” said Sou Cheong In, a university student in his junior year currently working at an office inside the worksite.
“It’s been quite a while, like a long time, probably since the first day of this construction site,” said the 21-year-
old, who also stated that the mobile hawkers “have been operating their businesses non-stop” at least for the two year period since he started working there.
At around 6:00 p.m., the owner of the idle vehicle reappeared, telling the police officers standing by his van that he “had some errand to run” and that was why he abandoned it.
According to one of the police officers, who refused to be identified, such business activities have been going on for “some time”, and not just at this particular worksite. Furthermore, allegations have been made that the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau authorities were privy to the mobile vending business. The university student likewise stated that the government authorities were in the know.
“Actually they know of it. How on earth could they not know? The vending cars were parked along the road. The police officers would just disperse them when they saw them do so,” said the student. “But then they’d return afterwards.”
The online media outlet uploaded the story to its Facebook account, alongside a picture clearly showing the business being conducted via stalls rather than in vans. The report drew adverse reactions from local netizens who voiced their support for the business owners in the comment section.
Some workmen told the Times that the vendors’ offerings were affordable and diverse. “There aren’t any places around here to eat,” said a mainland worker in his thirties. “Some of the food they send is not tasty, and we can choose our favorite [from the vendors].” Staff reporter
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