In 1969 Indonesia exiled one of its greatest writers to a penal colony on the island of Baru. Pramoedya Ananta Toer was transported as a political prisoner. No one informed him then or later of the charges against him. One day the commander inspected the prisoners’ quarters. Pram (as he is fondly known by many) writes: ‘At the meeting’s close he presented me with a gold Pilot fountain pen, a bottle of ink and a thick legal size writing tablet ... I had permission to write. And, indeed, an accompanying letter signed by the major granted me restoration of the right to write.’