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The Government is currently identifying suitable candidates for the independent review committee on identifying social conflicts.

Acting Chief Executive Matthew Cheung made the statement ahead of today’s Executive Council meeting, stressing the need for such a panel and explaining why the Government is pursuing the task.

“We’ve repeatedly said that it’s meant to take a macro view of what’s happened in the lead up to the social events - in fact the circumstances surrounding the current crisis we are facing, the whys and the whats and so on - and in the process also to identify the deep-seated social conflicts, fundamental social conflicts embedded in the community for a long time.

“For example, the wealth gap, and also land and housing supply, youth mobility, upward mobility of youngsters and so on and so forth. So it’s a host, a basket of problems we are tackling.

“Now this is a mammoth exercise and calls for an independent, so-called high level, high-powered research committee to head up the whole task.

“That’s why we are identifying suitable candidates to head the committee as well as to join the committee in its work.”