Hong Kong Citizens Are Living in Cages… Literally
Hong Kong is a vibrant city chock-full of people — so much so that the quality of life for those at the bottom tier is atrocious. And I’m not talking about, “Oh my goodness, I have to share a bathroom with my brother and sister.” I’m talking about up to 18 strangers being smashed into a tiny 625 square foot flat with just one toilet to share.
One such former cage-dweller is Chau Kam-chuen. Mr. Kam-chuen used to be one of over 400,000 working poor who paid approximately $167.6 USD to live in such an environment. According to him, it’s extremely uncomfortable, especially if you get the top bunk: “You hit your head on the ceiling.”
The way it works is that a flat is chosen and then partitioned into multiple cubicles, each composed of wooden planks and wire mesh. Each cubicle then becomes home to one resident.
The cage that the woman sits in above contains all her possessions, from clothes to cooking supplies and even family heirlooms. Realistically speaking, the cage is smaller than a jail cell; yet, these cages house thousands of poverty-stricken men and women who have nowhere else to turn.
And they aren’t comfortable either. Oftentimes, the air-conditioning and heating doesn’t work. Or if it does work, it rarely gets turned on before 9m. As Lai Man-law, an employed man from Hong Kong explained, “It’s dirty and hot. There are cockroaches and bedbugs, and the air-conditioning doesn’t work.”
One wonders though why someone would choose to live like this. Most of these people have no alternative option. These are normal everyday citizens who befell upon hard times and ended up unemployed, homeless, and struggling to make ends meet. The horrific floods of 2008 didn’t help either, as it forced many into homelessness and poverty.
To bring this unfortunate situation to light, Hong Kong’s Schoeni Gallery decided to focus their annual art charity event on displaying these cages directly to the public. Their goal was to showcase the widening gap between the poor and rich in Hong Kong.
The cages displayed are real cages from real flats. In fact, the man pictured above is Mr. Kam-chuen himself. He hopes that this event inspires more people to offer a helping hand to those in need — especially the poor cage dwellers of Hong Kong.
By V Saxena on 21-11-2009
Comment by sarah
November 21st, 2009 at 10:21 pm
omg… thats so sad..
Comment by Guitar Tuition Reviews
November 21st, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Dugg for appropriate use of the word “literally.”
Comment by praveen
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:09 am
its very sad
Comment by James Oh
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:54 am
It is not only sad, but far below than the tolerance level. They have to seek a permanent solution to resolve this crucial issue, which is long over due.
James Oh
http://liftyouup,blogspot.com
Comment by Mang
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:42 am
We have people sleeping on the streets in the USA…
Comment by Metici
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:12 am
Yes, but we also have unemployment benefits in the USA, and programs to help get those people off the streets and help them maintain permanent jobs.
Comment by Mr Degree
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:33 am
I've been told I am over-qualified for many a job – survival of the fittest?
Comment by Zafar
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:30 am
Frailest survive… Lolz!
Comment by Orchid64
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:44 am
Why must all discussions end up back at the United States? It is possible to discuss problems in other countries without turning around and pointing a finger at the U.S. Besides, let's be fair if we're going to start looking around at other countries issues. Japan has rural dwellers who have been denied welfare and have starved to death in their own homes while utility bill collectors walked away after seeing them crawling on the floors of their homes. All countries have homeless people.
Really, discussing this problem, which is tragic, has nothing to do with America. Most of the homeless in the U.S. could live in shelters or other places, but they don't like the rules and prefer to be on the streets or in their cars. If you don't believe that, start reading the "Homeless Tales" blog (homelesstales.com) which is written by homeless folks and discusses their situations in great detail.
And let's try not to make every article a competition for awfulness with the U.S. Sheesh.
Comment by hephzibah
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:55 am
I can't believe it…Is painfull and shows the type of government that is in place and if not checked is worth international incursion
Comment by Tom
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Yes, hephzibah, a government is to blame. For 99 years the british administrators failed to erradicate poverty in Hong Kong. The communists have been at it for a couple of decades now, lets see if they do any better.
Comment by Stuart Hannig
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:17 pm
we do even worse to animals so I have no problem with this. They should be happy they can leave their cage as they want.
Comment by David
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Are you seriously comparing PEOPLE with ANIMALS??? Ironically, you've just illustrated the problem: with these cages, people are being treated like animals – in fact, most pets are treated better – and you have no problem with this. You're either extremely ignorant or a psychopath…SHUT THE HELL UP.
Comment by Chris M
November 22nd, 2009 at 4:37 pm
WOW… so your the kind of person that would jump in front of a car to save a cat.. but yell at a child because they shouldnt have been playing in the street… your pretty messed up.. and who is "we"?? cuz i treat my pets extremely well.. but i still wouldnt put their needs before a human being.. your an ignorant fool!
Comment by Mang
November 22nd, 2009 at 4:55 pm
"Most of the homeless in the U.S. could live in shelters or other places, but they don't like the rules and prefer to be on the streets or in their cars."
Okay, I don't need to do any research to tell you that that's a ridiculous, sweeping generalization. Most homeless people prefer to live on the streets? Yeah buddy, I'll bet.
And if somehow that is the case, what does that say about all of our programs in place? If people would rather not use them, I guess they can't be great. Clearly the system is screwed up. Maybe they're just cages stacked up high with cockroaches and bedbugs?
I can have sympathy for the rest of the world, but I feel like somehow people like you think that every homeless person in America is an undeserving drug addict who did this to themselves and had every opportunity to lead a prosperous life, while the homeless in the rest of the world are poor, helpless individuals.
Comment by Dallas Hoisington
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Stuart Hannig is obviously from PETA, if you are curious when he mean "WE". People from PETA like Stuart are practically nut jobs
Comment by jake
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Umm you put your pets needs before other humans on a daily basis.
Your helping your pets and giving them food and shelter, not these poor people in china. So exactly what was the point of your reply? To show how dumb you are?
Maybe it was just too obvious for you to see that,…I don't know..
Comment by Luna
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Can we compare these Hong Kong citizens to the homeless of the U.S.? I mean, are there also homeless in Hong Kong? I don't know.
Comment by joe
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Agreed. Instead of having them inside buildings we just let our poor be homeless on the streets.
Comment by KATHY
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:39 pm
you're dispectable, first off, if these people are poor,of course, they would have to resort to eating taboo animals like dogs, these people are uneducated, their own people despise them, their corrupted politians would careless OF THEM only to fufill their OWN WANTS and if you would protested about animal cruelty TO THEM of course they'll ignore you, THEY HAVE TO LIVE TOO! THATS WHY GOD OFFER MAN ANIMALS TO EAT! I BET YOU PROBABLY FUCK ANIMALS THAN YOUR OWN PEOPLE
Comment by Frank
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Regardless you're still retarded for trying to equate living on a street where you have many more opportunities for help to living in a 5' x 3' cage in a tiny room with 20 other people in China. That doesn't make the situation in the US any better, so don't think I'm saying that, but the above point still stands.
Comment by Christine
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:06 pm
You all are pretty ridiculous. Arguing over whether or not an animal’s needs should be put before a human’s. The problem stands that there are, unfortunately, a large group of people WORLDWIDE that cannot make ends meet; and therefore must resort to living styles they normally wouldn’t. But people who have the luxury of being able to go online and check little blogs such as these on a daily basis, don’t realize that sitting here and bickering about it doesn’t solve, much less alleviate the problem at hand. Instead of insulting one another for their preferred opinions, why not agree that the living situations of the poverty-stricken in Hong Kong are atrocious and there needs to be something done about it. Not try and sweep them under the rug, hoping they’ll either die out or just become someone else’s problem.
Comment by Gary Bates
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Serves them right for eating cats and dogs
Comment by Tiko
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:51 pm
the most sick about all comment is, many of you forget, that that place is so much better than rural place in Jakarta or Bangladesh, they live on the street (literary), and eat junk in trash bin from mcdonalds, starbuck, KFC, or burgerKing.
YES all of YOU should know the REAL PROBLEM IN THIS WORLD!!
Comment by Zach
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Actually, Mang – he is correct. Research has proven that the chronically homeless will more then likely refuse welfare services. It's a huge probem that poverty-stricken areas are forced to deal with. I can't post links on here, but search google for Chronic Homeless refuse welfare, and a good number of results come up.
And Frank, before I go shelling my money (including taxes) off to benefit another country, I would want to look out for my own first.
Comment by Zach
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Comment by Zach
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:58 pm
People aren't being treated like animals. They've chosen to live in these cages. Animals typically don't chose too.
Comment by Luca
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:07 am
You are foolish.
The point of this article, if you could read clearly, is to raise awareness.
It is not up to you or anyone to decide what deserves awareness and what doesn't.
If you insist on arguing over which is worse, living in cages or poverty stricken in rural areas then you need a firm kick in the ass.
"YES all of YOU should know the REAL PROBLEM IN THIS WORLD!!" wait wait, ok buddy tell me.
Is it corrupt governments? Poverty? AIDS? Over priced gas? Mulitnationals ruining human rights? War?
Malaria? Flooding? God? I dunno tell me Mr. Smartman.
Until I see you in Hong Kong helping out, or in Jakarta passing out rations then you can go back in your hole instead of preaching awareness over more "important" problems.
Fuck who cares what the "real problems" are, they all need help from first world people like us wasting our time on the internet, so why don't we go help?
Comment by e cigarette
November 23rd, 2009 at 1:12 am
Wow this is just wrong.
Comment by Troy
November 23rd, 2009 at 1:41 am
you're stupid dude. They dont all eat cats and dogs. There are sick ppl in America who rape and kill little kids. But not all do it. This is really sad for a human being..
Comment by @honourchick
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:27 am
so very sad indeed.
i hope they have jobs in the4 city or else i don't see why they should be living the the city.
Comment by Simpson
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Take all these people and dump at Vatican who want to protect unborn fetus. Ask these priests to donate all their worldly things to these poor people. China over produced people – proliferation of any kind and they have to pay a price. It is the way nature works. Pitying and reporting here will not make the Chinese authorities change their life. They want more corruption. Under educated and uneducated people anywhere will suffer. .
Comment by Ken
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:15 am
They badly need help and government should look after those peoples.
Comment by ali hk
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:32 am
dogs are yummy
Comment by ---
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:44 am
China "over produced" people so they have to pay a price? Well how about America's fewer children are the most wasteful/energy-consuming per capita, so hopefully karma will bite their asses in the end too, according to your rationale.
Comment by Feed
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:23 am
it's hong kong you moron… read the story first!
Comment by jimmy
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:03 am
biggest moron ever
Comment by jimmy
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:04 am
you replied to the wrong person. that makes you the moron
Comment by jimmy
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:05 am
those ppl probably never even ate meat at all because of poverty. think before you write
Comment by jimmy
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:06 am
problem: hunger. case closed
Comment by Nixter
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:56 am
Living condition in parts of India are MUCH WORSE than any of these cases. Your pity is misdirected, these people have food and a safe place to sleep, many others in Africa and India have none of these things.
Comment by Nixter
November 23rd, 2009 at 9:01 am
When one is starving to DEATH from lack of any Human care of any sort, then this case MUST be given priority. How can any human being put a well fed persons importance above one suffering from STARVATION? YOU ARE WORSE THAN MERELY FOOLISH! Your priorities are wrong! Human beings come first, not your ignorant misguided opinions.
Comment by mashplum
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:21 pm
If you are unemployed and living in a cage home, wouldn't you have a lot of free time to at least clean the bathroom? It is the filth that is the problem, not the lack of space. Soldiers live in barracks, truckers sleep in their trucks, Japanese businessmen stay in "coffin" style hotels, and American tourists love their winnebagos. If those cage places were clean, the story would be, "what a clever solution to the homelessness problem this is!"
Comment by Erick
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:32 pm
I agree with mashplum
Comment by Agent U210
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Just for comparison, U.S. Sailors live in a "Rack" that measures about 3 foot high, 4 foot wide by 7 foot long for years at a time. For some, all their possessions are stored there as well although the Navy restricts what can be stored there. Officers will occupy a space similar to the 1st floor cubes here and are called "Staterooms". Depending on rank, Staterooms are shared by two officers. Admittedly there are more toilets per occupant and the showers are more roomy on a U.S. Naval Ship. On most US submarines, they 'Hot Rack". That means the "Rack" is shared by two men, so it's always warm when one guy gets off work, as the previous guy had just woke up for his duty.
Comment by Christine
November 24th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
I wouldn't be so ignorant or childish as to deem myself the first, but I most definitely have. Unfortunately, reality is, a small group of people joining organizations to send financial support isn't going to put much of a dent in the situation. You must think yourself clever to assume me to be a person sitting on such a high horse, but my previous comment was merely a suggestion not a means to only criticize others; using the examples I had to attempt getting the focus back on the bigger picture. But thanks for trying.
Comment by Truth
November 26th, 2009 at 2:44 am
wow you need serious mental help. please leave your computer and look into intense therapy.
Comment by freezonal
November 27th, 2009 at 7:28 am
it is so sad. i appreciate your work, this will help them to get help from someone who read this article.
Comment by ember
November 29th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
lol you don't even know your geography so stfu xD not all asian countries is china you know
Comment by ttt
November 30th, 2009 at 4:35 am
serve them right for not working hard when they're young.. now they have to suffer when they're old. its all about karma. not everyone is born rich, hence you work your way up.
Comment by ...
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:08 am
you're bloody idiotic.
I can't even think of an appropriate response to this garbage.
Comment by Erwin
December 11th, 2009 at 3:27 am
hahahaa oh my god i absolutely cannot stop laughing after seeing this. thank you for posting it!!!!!!!
Comment by hahahaha
December 11th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Another stupid gweilo trolling around Asian sites. Do you know in the US, Asians kick yo white ass economically and academically?? White American's unemployment rate is 10% right now but Asian Americans are only at 7.5%. And do you know white kids are so dumb they move out of predominantly Asian areas to AVOID ACADEMIC COMPETITION WITH ASIAN KIDS (the new white flight, haha). It sucks that we Asians passed you on the social ladder so fast you white trash never knew what hit you, doesn't it.
I'm not making this up:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-11-15-as...
http://wsjclassroom.com/teen/teencenter/05nov_whi...
Comment by babyleo
December 12th, 2009 at 7:52 am
they're living like dogs with zero human dignity. The "story" should be asking: Why don't these folks clean up their living quarters? I lived in a lot LESS space for 4 years in the Coast Guard on board boats and it was both decent and fun. It's hard for me to feel sorry for a guy that can't clean his own friggin toilet.
Comment by Kitty
December 15th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
You are sick.
Comment by Goatleg
December 20th, 2009 at 11:03 am
If you don't feel sorry for them then you don't deserve to live. Yes they can clean up and crap but it costs money which they obviously do not have. Most necessities are donated. Listen before you comment.
Coast guard, army barracks… you all make money and have the luxury to be PROVIDED with cleaning products to clean shit up.
Basically, instead of talking yourselves up, do something about it. Write a letter or email them. I donate $500 a month to charities, what will you do?
Comment by akos
December 20th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
how is this funny? its not funny at all…why u so heartless?
Comment by resabambino
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:14 am
You obviously never experience real life.
Comment by Toni
December 23rd, 2009 at 1:54 pm
This is simply awful to hear about. I guess when there's all the talk about the environment and China not doing enough, it kinda makes sense when you hear that there are people living in cages. I think they deserve something better than that!
Comment by Queenie
December 25th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
FYI, people in Hong Kong do not eat cats and dogs!!!
Only people in mainland China do…
Get the facts, you f***ing dunce!!
Comment by Justin White
January 8th, 2010 at 4:39 am
Wow, I cant even begin to imagine! That is so sad. I have been to Hong Kong on several ocassions and have never had to see this.
RT
http://www.anonymity-tools.ru.tc
Comment by Catherine
January 13th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
i wonder where their children are .. seeing that most of them are elderly :S
i wish they receive help soooooon!
it's heartbreaking!
Comment by DIY Awards
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:36 am
What they need is not only short term help, but the mechanism to drag them out of that kind of life…
Comment by Tiny
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:41 am
My god, how can they live in that cage for so long!!! DIY Awards
Comment by @Rodney_Hart
February 3rd, 2010 at 9:29 pm
What ever works for them. We all came from hard situations. Maybe they can market those bunk beds in America.
Comment by Sephi
February 4th, 2010 at 6:56 am
Some of you are real gold. I feel bad for the parents and countries (mainly US looks like) that raised you.
Poverty is poverty. It doesn't matter where you are or whether you live in a capitalist democracy or a socialist communist state. Grow the hell up and educate yourselves. You have tons of problems in your own countries you'd be able to see and do something about if you weren't so blinded by patriotism and hate for the evil, evil communists.
Comment by joe
February 8th, 2010 at 6:05 am
too many people in world is sad truth. china has led the way .couples must restrict there children to one or more people will suffer in the future around the world.
Comment by ecigarettewholesale
February 14th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
That is so sad. It is interesting.
e cigarette wholesale
Comment by E Cig
February 18th, 2010 at 5:14 am
These photos are so morbid.
Your girl Mary
http://www.electroniccigarettesource.com
Comment by Richard Berman
March 12th, 2010 at 6:39 pm
Ha hah ha …free markets LOL.
Jimmy Lai must be so proud of himself.
Even communist China has more income equality and lower unemployment than Hong Kong. No universal suffrage. Keep the poor people stupid. Tip to poor people: Join a triad.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by...
http://web.archive.org/web/20070715172339/http://...
Comment by roro
March 17th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
am living in poverty myself and can't assist u,i hope there would be help soon.
Comment by roro
March 17th, 2010 at 4:06 pm
u is one sicko,may God help u