“There wasn’t much to do inside, so I just studied.”

“At first there was definitely not enough to eat. Later on, once I started working, I could buy a few snacks.” A Sai (pseudonym), a beneficiary of Bonham Tree Aid, was arrested for taking part in the 2019 protests. As he was still underage at the time, he was sent to a juvenile prison commonly known as “3C”.

In the juvenile prison he was never properly fed or kept warm; he endured verbal and physical humiliation from correctional officers, bullying from “senior” inmates, and more. Many of the scenes described by former inmates, the media and in films were things A Sai personally went through. Yet when he revisits this period, he only brushes over it lightly and is unwilling to say much more.

“They were just bored, really.” Inside, A Sai met many inmates who constantly compared themselves with others, bullies, and so-called “senior” prisoners who threw their weight around. To him, they were simply trying to use whatever tiny bit of power they had to claw a few more resources for themselves and protect what remained of their trampled self-esteem, in the midst of the misery of imprisonment. A Sai was neither afraid of them nor willing to go along with them. He did not want to waste time on such pointless things.

“There’s nothing much to do inside, so you may as well study!”

Before the protests, A Sai, like many people his age, just wanted to have fun. Studying was merely an obligation to get through; he did not really know why he was studying, nor what kind of future he wanted. After going to prison, however, he actually started spending more time on his books. At first it was simply to avoid getting dragged into the gossip and conflicts among other inmates. Later, it slowly became a habit, and he even realised that he actually quite liked studying.

“I thought I’d give it a try, and the school was willing to take me, so of course I went!” Having never had good grades since he was small, A Sai had never dared to dream of becoming a university student. Studying became a habit while he was inside. After his release, he decided to continue his education and applied to tertiary institutions. He had worried that his academic record and his time in prison would lead to rejection, but in the end he was admitted to the programme he wanted and became an undergraduate.

“In the past I was the one being helped; now I’m the one helping others.” A Sai’s imprisonment was a heavy blow to his family, and the various expenses further increased their financial burden. His family therefore applied for assistance from the Bonham Tree Aid Humanitarian Support Fund. Now, while studying at a tertiary institution, A Sai is also actively involved as a volunteer with Bonham Tree Aid in his spare time.

Although he was not crushed by his time in prison and has instead become even more motivated, he has seen many other young political prisoners who had promising futures but could not withstand the blows and the physical and psychological damage. He hopes that the support provided by Bonham Tree Aid can encourage these inmates and let them know that there are still many people outside the prison walls who are thinking of them.

Story adaptation and illustration: @wl.aandd

*This story is adapted from multiple real cases.

**According to a report by the US-based Hong Kong organisation, the Hong Kong Democracy Council (@hkdc.us), as of mid-2022, over 1,000 people had been arrested and prosecuted for their involvement in the 2019 protest movement, 15% of whom were minors. Many have spent years on remand before trial. Young protesters being forced to cut short their studies and suffering severe physical and psychological harm in prison has become all too common. With the National Security Law and the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law, the number of young political prisoners is likely only to increase.

*The Bonham Tree Aid Humanitarian Support Fund provides monthly humanitarian assistance of £380 (around HKD $3,800) to families of imprisoned protesters in need, to ease the pressure on their households. Since its establishment in October 2021, it has distributed a total of £1,296,780 and assisted 267 families. A further 110 families are still on the waiting list urgently needing support.

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