“The Letters That Need To Be Written Will Continue To Be Written.”

In a previous interview, Ah Hei spoke about balancing the needs of comrades’ families while coordinating a pen-pal network. However, as an organizer who bears even greater responsibility than a carer, caring for the carers has long been the norm. Due to various constraints, the work and hardships of Ah Hei and other organizers have not been fully disclosed to the public.

Compared with the frontline action phase of the social movement, the atmosphere cooled considerably after the pandemic broke out. While the wider public sank into an emotional lull, Ah Hei had to devote even more time and energy to emotional labor—ensuring smooth correspondence for imprisoned comrades while also taking on the role of a “part-time son/daughter,” comforting family members outside the prison walls. After four years of coordinating and prison visits, Ah Hei need to “catch a breath,” and tentatively plans to gradually step back from the pen-pal matching service within the year, allowing other willing partners to take over.

Ah Hei’s decision to step back surprised many, inevitably prompting speculation about unspoken pressures. However, Ah Hei explained that the main reason for relinquishing the role is that most cases related to the 2019 protest movement have now completed trial proceedings, and the earliest group of imprisoned comrades have gradually regained their freedom. As such, the work can now be shared by others; it is not the result of having received any “friendly reminders” forcing a halt.

Over these years, another change in Ah Hei’s life has been leaving campus and formally entering the workforce. Juggling a job with forwarding letters into prison, Ah Hei at one point, nearly sacrificed the rest of his life entirely—spending evenings constantly mailing letters and matching pen pals for prisoners. At present, Ah Hei handles hundreds of letters each month on average; during one Christmas peak, more than a thousand letters and cards were processed within a single month.

After years of spending several hours after work each day on prisoner support matters, Ah Hei says there is no regret about having taken on the pen-pal matching. Compared with friends who have lost their freedom, or comrades forced to abandon their ideals and aspirations, these personal sacrifices deemed insignificant. While some comrades have broken ties with their families due to the social movement or political differences, Ah Hei’s family—despite many worries—has been highly supportive of this support work.

When asked what sustains this way of life, Ah Hei cited a strong sense of responsibility: once something is promised, it must be done well. Although Hong Kong has been “back to normal” from the pandemic for over a year, and many residents have been traveling and engaging in so-called revenge spending, Ah Hei must carefully arranging traveling each time—trying to avoid leaving Hong Kong on weekdays so as not to disrupt the mailing process or the rare opportunities for prison visits.

Looking back, an immense workload has accumulated not only fatigue and pressure; Ah Hei has also been unable to maintain contact with all the pen pals originally met. Gradually, these factors made Ah Hei realize that it was no longer possible to continue burning oneself out as before, and that life needed to change. Ah Hei said that even after stepping down from the role of pen-pal coordinator, it does not mean cutting off all connections—the letters that need to be written will continue to be written.

After more than four years of perseverance, Ah Hei believes that, beyond adding an extraordinary chapter to life, the journey has also brought many friendships—whether pen pals becoming close confidants or meeting numerous letter writers. The most unexpected recent development was receiving a kitten as a gift from one of the letter writers, putting him into a devoted cat owner. Ah Hei describes life after adopting a cat as utterly different, bringing new vitality to life and marking a distinctive closing note to this period of prisoner support work.

Reading about Ah Hei’s contributions over the past few years, as fellow travelers on the same path, beyond offering words of encouragement to the many organizers and comrades who give silently, what more can we do in our daily lives to go one step further and support them? This is also a direction that those who remain must continue to reflect on and work toward.

Illustration: @wl.aandd

Text: Vincent Vega

Translation: Leo

* A report by the “Hong Kong Democracy Council” (@hkdc.us) stated that as of mid-2022, more than 1,000 people were arrested and prosecuted in connection with the 2019 protest movement, 15% of whom were minors. Many experienced years of pre-trial detention; young protesters were forced to suspend their studies and suffered both physical and psychological trauma while in prison.

** “Bonham Tree Aid” provides monthly humanitarian assistance of £380 (approximately HKD 3,800) to families of imprisoned protesters in need, easing the pressure on comrades’ families. Since its establishment in October 2021, more than HKD 13 million has been distributed to assist nearly 300 families. About 110 families are currently still on the waiting list and in urgent need of support.

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