Buru Island was the site of Indonesia's most remote and infamous
prison camp. In the wake of the 1965 repression of the political Left, between
1969 and 1979, approximately 12,000 men were held on Buru without formal charge
or trial. During their detention prisoners suffered torture, forced labour and
malnourishment, as well as social isolation.

As a young writer
filled with hope and optimism for Indonesia's future he joined the left-wing
cultural organisation Lekra (Lembaga Kebudayaan Rakyat, Institute of People's
Culture) and was a permanent representative of the Indonesian National Committee
to the Asia-Africa Writer's Bureau in Colombo. Setiawan shares an intimate
account of his life story leading up to and during his detention. In
beautifully crafted prose he brings into stark light the horrors of the period
after 1965, which included disappearance, murder, torture, betrayal and loss
and his own capture and incarceration on Buru Island.



The Herb Feith Translation Series publishes high-quality non-fiction manuscripts not
yet available in English, which enhance scholarship and teaching about
Indonesia. Published by the Herb Feith Foundation in conjunction with Monash
University, the books are available 'open access' or for free download. This
will be the final book in the series.