Month: June 2025

What gold can’t buy

I am a Guyanese national born in 1967. As a father of six children—four girls and two boys—I worked hard in construction to support my family. But getting work was getting more and more difficult.

So, I started gold mining for about ten years. With some of the money saved I bought a 4-inch dredge and employed two guys to work with me. Everything changed on February 19, 2015. It was a Thursday evening when I came out of the gold field with my production. Four guys attacked me. I tried to fight back, but one of them stabbed me in the back, and they took away all my production, about 125 ounces of gold.

I spent six months in the hospital and became wheelchair-bound.

…I was wearing diapers and using a catheter. With no parents alive and no inheritance, I resorted to begging on streets to support myself and my children.

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Piling up onto their burden

I come from Malaysia and am currently in Hong Kong’s Stanley Prison.

I worked in furniture renovation in Malaysia. In 2022, the market turned bad and I was often unemployed. My family’s financial burdens were heavy—my elderly parents, my children, and the whole family depended on me. The weight on my shoulders was enormous.

Then, in 2023, I met an old classmate. At that time, I saw that his life was going well—he had bought a house and a car. Moreover, seeing my difficult situation, he was generous and lent me money to help me through my hardships. Gradually, one day I asked him what he was doing to be doing so well. Through his introduction, I ended up on this irreversible path.

I thought about my elderly parents, my children, and my own difficulties. He spoke so casually about it, and my mind was filled with greed!

At first, he asked me to carry items abroad, but I was scared and unwilling. Later, he told me I didn’t have to carry anything anymore; instead, he asked me to come to Hong Kong to receive goods for him at a hotel.

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Hard to build, easy to crumble

Everyone makes mistakes at some point in their lives. As a child, when I made a mistake, I would be scolded or punished by my parents or teachers, but in the end, I would all be forgiven. Yet, not all mistakes can be brushed aside, especially when one breaks the law. Such mistakes not only bring legal consequences but also destroy one’s future. I am an example of this life lesson…

I am 28 years old, and I have been in custody for nearly a year now. I was born in Shenzhen (China) and came to live in Hong Kong with my parents when I was 8 years old. Growing up, I was not particularly mischievous; my family always thought I was a sensible person, particularly because I started working part-time since the age of 15 to help with expenses.

But I did have a rebellious moment. Born into a grassroots family and raised in a public housing estate, it was inevitable that I would cross paths with  gangs and troublemakers…

When I was studying in Secondary One, I became acquainted with some friends who suggested me to “follow a gang leader.” to deal with the bullying I was suffering. I wanted others to know that I was not someone to be abused.

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