Escape from Manus
Escape from Manus by Jaivet Ealom is an extraordinary document of growing up under military oppression in Burma as a Rohingya, managing to get an education, having to flee including two perilous boat journeys, then the iron-clad embrace of Christmas Island, a few wretched years closely observing the Manus “Regional Processing Centre” depredations, and a nail-biting escape.
Reading it gives better comprehension of the regional depredation and corruption inherent in Australia’s offshore “detention” system, and engenders further respect for those brave refugees relegated to it.
Through Jaivet’s eyes we see a rotten system created by Australia’s government held together by greed, abuse of power, secrecy and propaganda.
Jaivet has written a wonderful, important, powerful book that will live for years and hopefully help dismantle this blight on our nation.
Jane Touzeau