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A kid who grows up in the Military Dependent’s village, who aches to grow up, to leave the house, to prove himself, who stumbled on the road of mafia and drugs. More than 30 years of suffering from addiction, until the day he saw his friend die of drug overdose right in front of him. On that day, he decided to take a different path for his life. With the help of faith, a pastor, and his family, the drug lord is now an amiable preacher, encouraging life with his life. Founding a relief group for ex-criminals, providing them with opportunities and supporting their daily lives ––– that is the notable life of An-Pong Cheng.
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In modern society, the word “ex-criminals” is often portrayed as a positive word, describing good citizens that spent time in jail but are determined to be better. The media also digs for successful ex-criminals to attract audiences’ attention. However, the ex-criminals that the media shows actually accounted for a very small number of prisoners: most of them would recidivate in 1 to 2 years and got arrested again. The reasons vary: from incurable addictions to the discriminations of the public. However, this phenomenon was ignored by society. While people are encouraging others to accept ex-criminals, hundreds of people out of prison fall to the streets, unemployed, every year.
As the famous Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky once said, “Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him.” Most people couldn’t understand why criminals commit crimes again and again; why aren’t they stopping? Why aren’t they changing? The ex-criminals that are not understood by society often lose their enthusiasm to be better and instead go back to their comfort zone and look for approval.
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As a senior inmate, An-Pong said that ex-criminals treat each other with tolerance and understanding, due to their similar backgrounds. With his past experiences, he is more persuasive to the younger ex-criminals, more able to understand their struggles and help them overcome the challenges. Perhaps that is the way of life, even the wrong train will get you to the right destination in the end.