The Angel of Bang Kwang Prison by Susan Aldous & Nicola Pierce

Author:Susan Aldous & Nicola Pierce [Aldous, Susan & Pierce, Nicola]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Maverick Publishing Ltd
Published: 2012-03-30T14:18:10+00:00

It’s all about simple acts of kindness that can mean a great deal to those who have little. Other projects in Bang Kwang involved me giving out 53 bags of toiletries and food to the neediest inmates. Another time I was able to give pens, paper, sarongs and pillowcases to 100 inmates. The elderly prisoners were delighted to receive a big home-cooked meal one afternoon, which I helped to serve to the delighted men.

The thing is, I depend on acts of kindness and donations from the likes of that generous woman in Holland. These men have nothing and I just want to be able to give them little luxuries whenever it is possible. You just can’t begin to imagine the dreariness and grimness of their existence. They have forgotten what it is like to walk on a beach or have a cup of coffee at a stall, or hold someone they love. They are always so appreciative, especially the Thai prisoners. The foreign prisoners are much more businesslike and do not shy away from asking me to do something for them in the outside world. I write letters for them and translate documents for them, and keep them informed of their rights and their embassies. But maybe the most important thing is that I visit these men and listen to their worries.

Visiting prisoners is my entrance to a different world and I feel very privileged when the men are candid about their lives on the inside and what exactly goes on. Penis mutilation was all the rage not so long ago and it was a badge of honour for me that some of the men felt they could discuss this with me. The important thing is not to judge. I have no idea how I would cope with being stuck behind bars for the rest of my life. When you have a community of only men there is a threat to the individual’s masculinity. The fairer sex makes men feel big and strong. Therefore when they are missing, men tend to resort to aggression to impose the stamp of their sex. Of course, for some the presence of the ‘ladyboys’ is enough to make them feel like real men. These are the effeminate men who dress, look and sound like women and they find themselves to be like trophy wives in Bang Kwang. The men who can’t cope with these ladyboys have to find another outlet.

Some choose to educate themselves and they take full advantage of the prison library and also the opportunity to do college courses from the prison as arranged by embassy staff or concerned families. Others discover the artist within and become very creative. Others open up a drug-dealing/prostitution business with help from their contacts outside. Others concentrate on their body, and look to differentiate themselves that way.

Some African and Japanese prisoners show interested parties how to insert a ball of polished glass or stone into the shaft of their penises, which duly causes it to swell up with a permanently huge head.

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