Buru Island was the site of Indonesia's most remote and infamousprison camp. In the wake of the 1965 repression of the political Left, between1969 and 1979, approximately 12,000 men were held on Buru without formal chargeor trial. During their detention prisoners suffered torture, forced labour andmalnourishment, as well as social isolation. 

As a young writerfilled with hope and optimism for Indonesia's future he joined the left-wingcultural organisation Lekra (Lembaga Kebudayaan Rakyat, Institute of People'sCulture) and was a permanent representative of the Indonesian National Committeeto the Asia-Africa Writer's Bureau in Colombo. Setiawan shares an intimateaccount of his life story leading up to and during his detention. Inbeautifully crafted prose he brings into stark light the horrors of the periodafter 1965, which included disappearance, murder, torture, betrayal and lossand his own capture and incarceration on Buru Island. 

The Herb Feith Translation Series publishes high-quality non-fiction manuscripts notyet available in English, which enhance scholarship and teaching aboutIndonesia. Published by the Herb Feith Foundation in conjunction with MonashUniversity, the books are available 'open access' or for free download. Thiswill be the final book in the series.