- Title: Volunteers help families of arrested Hong Kong protesters
- Date: 15th March 2020
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (MARCH 13, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RELATIVE OF PROTESTER IN REMAND, KAY, HOLDING BAG OF SNACKS AND SUPPLIES CROSSING ROAD SIGN READING (English/Chinese): "NO UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY, TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED" VARIOUS OF KAY ENTERING LAI CHI KOK CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTE BARBED WIRE AND SECURITY CAMERA VARIOUS EXTERIOR OF LAI CHI KOK CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTE HONG KONG, CHINA (RECENT - MARCH 5, 2020) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) RELATIVE OF PROTESTER IN REMAND, KAY, SAYING: "I understand why they need to standardise the approved items but some items are not easily found in the market and you're forced to buy at stores, where it's quite expensive. Not every family can afford to buy it." HONG KONG, CHINA (MARCH 13, 2020) (REUTERS) KAY WALKING PAST PHARMACY SIGN READING (Chinese): "MEDICINE" VARIOUS OF KAY LOOKING AT SOAP THAT DO NOT MEET GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS AND WILL BE REJECTED HONG KONG, CHINA (RECENT - MARCH 5, 2020) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) RELATIVE OF PROTESTER IN REMAND, KAY, SAYING: "I've tried buying it first, and then asking (the prison officers) if it's okay and they've rejected it. The packaging requirement is very difficult, if Jimmy Jungle can solve this, it would help us a lot and it makes me happy." JIMMY JUNGLE CO-FOUNDER, HEI, TURNING ON LIGHTS VARIOUS OF HEI OPENING A BOX AND TAKING OUT SUPPLIES VARIOUS OF HEI PACKAGING SUPPLIES FOR PROTESTERS IN REMAND HAND SOAP THAT MEETS GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) JIMMY JUNGLE, CO-FOUNDER, MICHAEL, SAYING: "My friend's relative told me that daily necessities are even harder to get. So we started packaging that too, now we do both snacks and also daily necessities to give remanded protesters or those in custody." VARIOUS OF MICHAEL PASSING SUPPLIES TO KEI DARLIE TOOTHPASTE THAT MEETS GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) JIMMY JUNGLE, CO-FOUNDER, MICHAEL, SAYING: "Can this project help us win this movement, this revolution? It won't, but you cannot leave those (protesters) locked up and that is our conscience that is keeping us motivated to do this." CRACKERS THAT MEET GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS VARIOUS OF JIMMY JUNGLE BOXES BOX OF M&MS THAT MEET GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) RELATIVE OF PROTESTER IN REMAND, KAY, SAYING: "Jimmy Jungle can help protester's families in a practical sense, like financial support, because it saves us a few hundred dollars (as their packages are free). But, on a movement level, it emotionally supports protester's families and give encouragement." HONG KONG, CHINA (MARCH 13, 2020) (REUTERS) KAY HOLDING BAG OF SUPPLIES VARIOUS OF KAY WALKING TO CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTE LAI CHI KOK CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTE
- Embargoed: 29th March 2020 12:51
- Keywords: China Hong Kong protest volunteer
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- City: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001C5AUL3B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Once a week, 31-year-old Kay goes to visit her relative who was arrested last year during the months-long anti-government protest in Hong Kong, to bring him a bag of supplies and snacks specially packed for protesters in detention.
The free package, which includes crackers, a pen, and some soap, fits the strict requirements set by the city's Correctional Service Department (CSD) and was purposefully put together by online shop Jimmy Jungle, a "yellow shop" -- businesses that openly support the pro-democracy cause.
Tight restrictions on the packaging and labelling of items frustrated Kay, who spent countless days running from different stores.
"I understand why they need to standardise the approved items but some items are not easily found in the market and you're forced to buy at stores, where it's quite expensive. Not every family can afford to buy it," Kay said.
CSD provides inmates with daily necessities, including toothpaste, toothbrush and toilet paper. It has strict guidelines for what relatives can bring in. These include an 80-gram soap of a specific brand which has to have Chinese writing on the package and only two specific brands of either 50-gram or 100-gram toothpastes.
The soap that matches the requirement is hardly found in the market while the toothpastes are only available when they are given free with purchases of two 250 g toothpastes.
Jimmy Jungle's co-founder, Michael, set up the shop to ease pressure on inmates' relatives and friends and in part help keep the movement alive.
"Can this project help us win this movement, this revolution? It won't, but you cannot leave those (protesters) locked up and that is our conscience that is keeping us motivated to do this," the 27-year-old said.
Michael founded the company with three others after his friend was arrested during a siege at Polytechnic University in November and has been in detention since.
Inside a tiny warehouse room, boxes filled with products that meet the requirements are stacked upon each other. Supplies are packed into boxes and then sent to district councillors' offices near detention facilities for families and friends to pick up.
The Jimmy Jungle founders initially used their own money to buy items, which they then sold to inmates' family and friends at cost price. However, donations of nearly HK$300,000 ($39,000) in just one week in February now allow them to provide snacks and daily necessities for free.
More than 7,500 people have been arrested since anti-government protests escalated in June last year and rights groups said around 90 people have been remanded in custody. The Correctional Services Department (CSD) said it does not have data on the number in detention related to the protests.
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