This book consists of a translation of the Indonesian language memoir Memoar Pulau Buru by Setiawan, who was detained for nine years, including seven in the prison camp on Buru Island in Indonesia. Thousands of men were held on Buru between 1969 and 1979 without formal charges or trials in the aftermath of Indonesias violence from 1965-1966, and Buru was notorious because of its remote location, harsh climate, and tough conditions, as prisoners were subjected to forced labor and long work days, as well as physical and mental torture. Setiawan joined the left-wing cultural organization Lekra and was the permanent representative of the Indonesian National Committee to the Asia-Africa Writer's Bureau in Colombo in Ceylon. After the 1965 election of a right-wing government there, the authorities prohibited the bureau and he and 11 other representatives were given two days to leave the country. Lekra was also banned, and Setiawan was arrested in 1969. He discusses his experiences in prison, as well as the lives and activities of other prisoners, along with his difficulties finding employment after prison, as former political prisoners were banned from various types of employment, denied civil rights, and ostracized in their communities. Some chapters have been omitted for this version. Distributed in the US by I.P.G. Annotation 2021 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
