Christopher V. V. Parnell

Author

The Sunday Smuggler Hell's Prisoner Aimless

Authors Note: The Title "The Sunday Smuggler" published HarperCollins is the same book retitled and published as "Hell's Prisoner" by Mainstream Publishers

GALLERY 2

PHOTO 30

Pamekassan Prison, Madura Island, Indonesia 1988

This photo was taken in Block B in Pamekassan Prison.

The Prisoner here has not worn clothes for over six years. The reason is that he has some strange skin infection.

He is unable to wear clothes without it causing him excruciating pain. He has never seen a doctor and no one can touch him without leaving bruises on the parts of the body that you touch, no matter how gently it may be… He bruises.

I was told that his right arm, just fell out of its socket a few months before this photo was taken, for no apparent reason.

For the whole time that I was in Pamekassan Prison, you could hear this guy moaning ceaselessly, pitifully every single night.

I sometimes found it very disturbing, for he didn’t sound human at all; he sounded like some primal injured creature… Not quite man…Not quite Beast.

Where is Amnesty International for this Man!

Where is the Red Cross for this Man!

Where is the Humanity for this Man!

This Prisoner is only one, among the legions of the lost.

No one cares whether he lives or dies…. Not even him.

PHOTO 36

Indonesian Soldiers, East Timor, Indonesia 1983

This is a photograph of my room boy, Ngadimun (sixth from the left), during his service in the Indonesian Army. This photo was taken in 1983. These are the soldiers who were trained especially for infiltration work. They were all unarmed combat experts, trained to kill quite easily without weapons. As you can see they are all expected to break a minimum of 6 bricks each with their bare hands. Some of these men could break a dozen bricks with one swift blow from their callus fist, and 6-12 bricks are far harder than a man's neck, or other bones and vital organs.

These are the soldiers of Indonesia who, for several years before the Portuguese pulled out of their small Colony in East Timor, had already well and truly infiltrated the country. Ngadimun has stated that he did 2 TOURS OF DUTY in East Timor. The first one in 1972 when they were mapping out the internal structure of the Portuguese opposition. Which parties would be favourable to Indonesia and which ones would oppose Indonesia's rule and domination over the Colony once the Portuguese pulled out, and the Indonesian's finally annexed, or invaded the tiny independent country, swallowing it up as one would a smartie (small coated chocolate)

Ngadimun was my room boy in Malang Prison, The prison was basically structured in 3 calibres, High Class... Middle Class... Low Class. Ngadimun had served 23 years in the Indonesian Army before he was arrested for the murder of 4 village lads who had paid him 300,000 rupees, or about US$150.00 each to him to help them join the Indonesian Army. (It is a well known fact that all Indonesians wishing to join Government Services or Departments must pay bribes)

But when he failed to be able to help these 4 young men enlist in the Army... well, he had spent the money. He had told them he would pay them back one night when he was on guard duty. He did meet them on the specified night, while on duty and while he had his rifle. He met them out near the barracks firing range... then shot all 4 of them DEAD. But he got caught for that and was thrown out of the Army and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, not so much for the murders but "For using an army rifle without the proper authority"

When he converted to Christianity, he confessed all of the sins he had committed as a Muslim to me and wrote some of them down... which are still in my possession........ That my Friends is another book.

PHOTO 37

Soldiers on Parade, East Timor, Indonesia 1975

This is a photograph of Ngadimun on Parade (eighth from the right). Taken in East Timor on a tour of duty in 1977. These are the soldiers of the YON. 503-KONSTRAD who were the first to parachute into East Timor in December 1975. Ngadimun was in the first wave of 1,000 paratroopers, followed by 6 other waves of paratroopers consisting of 1,000 men each. There were a total of 7,000 of Indonesia’s shock troops that first invaded East Timor, securing the television and radio stations, the airports, banks and financial centres, also the University.

Ground forces from West Timor invaded across the border into the East, while the Indonesian Navy placed a blockade around the seas of East Timor stopping anyone from entering or leaving the country.

These are the soldiers who shot and murdered 5 INNOCENT AUSTRALIANS back in 1975, and tried to blame it on the Timorese Freedom Fighters, the Fretlin.

Although the Australian Government accepted that story officially… I am well aware that the Australian Army Intelligence are well and truly up to date as regards to WHO did the actual killing of those 5 Australians… and it was not the Fretlin.

seen, Indonesia would have been the Pariah of the International community. The Australian Government was the only member of the United Nations to recognise Indonesia’s sovereignty and annexation of East Timor.

Australia went against all the norms of a civilised society by siding with Indonesia on this issue and turning a blind eye to the atrocities perpetrated by the Indonesian Government and its military… And for WHAT!

Well Ali Alitas and Gareth Evans did sign the “Timor Gap Agreement”, to drill for oil in the Timor Sea.

It seemed that the price of Australia’s silence was… BLACK GOLD.

The 5 Journalists had seen too much, witnessed too much. The mass killings, the burning of Churches, the looting and raping… They were all witnesses to one of Indonesia’s many atrocities.

Therefore they had to die.

If they were allowed to live and get back to the West and report the crimes that they had

PHOTO 39

Pamekassan Prison, Madura Island Indonesia

This is a photo of me, Saul with some of the prison guards, this was taken by one of the prison guards on the nightshift on Madura Island. As you can see I was quite free to roam the prison at night with the guards. I couldn’t have escaped easily from them because they constantly followed me around, wanting to talk mainly about what life was like in the West. But not being there myself since I was 19 years old, there was a great deal more that they would have known about it than I.

The West was as totally alien to me in those days as is a “Klingon” to the average Westerner.

PHOTO 42

Pamekassan Prison, Madura Island, Indonesia 1989

This is a photo of the blocks on the Punishment Prison Island, Madura. Each one of those doors in the background is a cell, less than 6 ft x 6 ft or about 180cm x 180cm. This is Block B during exercise period. The prisoners on Madura were sent there to be punished… and punished they were.

We all had to do this exercise called, “SKG”, or Ess Kar Gee. It’s a form of Martial Arts similar to Panchel Silate. The more punishment they gave you if you were sent to the block to exercise, actually made you harder (if you don’t have a stroke under the midday sun in the meantime).

These guys were lucky, it’s morning in this picture. The other prisoners kicking back against the walls are taking bets on that day’s upcoming blood fights. Blood fights were when one block had a disagreement with another block, or one gang had an altercation with one of the many other numerous gangs.

These disputes could often be settled with one fight… The fight of their gang’s, or block’s Champion.

The prisoners were basically taught Martial Arts within the prison, and the better that you got at it the better your chances were of survival. In a way it was a good idea, but in another way it’s bloody ludicrous.

When you get the cream of the gutters, all the killers, murderers, and violent offenders of a whole country and put them together in one large compound then turn a blind eye to their knives… And then let them kill each other off… That’s called “Prison Population Control”.

In theory it’s a great idea, but in practice half the prisoners may kill each other off… But what about the other half that survive? They’re harder, they’re faster, more cunning, far more ferocious and far more ruthless and dangerous should they manage to survive. Those that manage to walk out would be the match of any 5 ordinary men, just an ordinary killer, trained physically and mentally with experience to back it up. That ordinary killer, that ordinary murderer, that ordinary violent offender… and yes… even those ordinary ex-escapees become much more than ordinary.

PHOTO 43

Malang Prison, Central Highlands of Java, Indonesia 1993

This is a photo of another “Eddy” (and myself). This is Eddy Sumatra. His mother travelled 4 days from Sumatra to visit him. She travelled via a dug out canoe, ferry, bus, train, rickshaw, mini-taxi, shit truck, and finally by foot to visit her beloved son. She even made him a home cooked meal before she left Sumatra and carried it with her for those long, full 4 days just to give it to her loving son… who shared it with ME.

I nearly spewed my arsehole up just smelling this lovingly given bag of dog’s intestines, stuffed with fish and pork paste, covered in a nauseous shit covered gravy kept un refrigerated and unchained for 4 long days.

I’ve eaten some wild stuff in my long, short life. I was once accused of having the ability to eat what would make a Billy goat spew.

So I can highly recommend that if you should ever see Pruit Angin on a menu… sidestep it.

PHOTO 44

Malang Prison, Central Highlands of Java Indonesia 1993

This photo is of the Mandi, or bath, of Malang’s Tanggerang Prison Block G.

This bathing area is for over 300 prisoners to wash in. As you can see there is never enough water to really get a full scoop, and on the rare occasions that you did get a scoop of water out, it was full of moss and green scum, not to mention leaches and wigglers that get into your ears.

This photo was taken after lock up, when the bulk of the prisoners were locked up in their cells.

PHOTO SIXTEEN

Pamekassan Prison, Madura Island, Indonesia 1989

This is a photo of the inside of the Morgue on Madura Island’s Pamekassan Prison.

Sitting upside down on what I guess you could call a Mortician’s table is the Prisons stretcher used to carry the sick and dead from the Prison Infirmary to the Morgue.

The Prison only had this one stretcher. When the fights and riots broke out one stretcher was never enough. There fore the food boxes were used as auxiliary stretchers cum body boxes.

If you’re still alive after a frenzied knifing or a wild bloody riot you may get a ride to the local Hospital outside the Prison on it….. if your lucky. Farta did

PHOTO 3

Madura Island Prison – Indonesia – Mid 1989

This photo was taken on Madura Island Pamekassan Prison, just before the mid 1989 riots and our transfer to Malang Prison in the Central Highlands of Java.

James (the chook) Cook squatting to my left and Barry (the Plague) sitting on the right of me.

What we are drinking is not coffee but a drink called “Collock” which is boiled coconut milk with banana and brown sugar. It was our version of a cup of tea or coffee. When you don’t have tea or coffee. This was a treat for us as you can see in our happy little faces.

PHOTO 4

Malang Prison Church – Indonesia - March 1993

This photo was taken in 1993, in the Malang Prison Church in March of 1993.

A Typhoid epidemic had hit the Prison. With in just a few days there were 135 prisoners confirmed with Typhoid, and 4 Prisoners dead. Twenty-Two Prisoners died during this particular epidemic in Malang Prison

The Disease raged for weeks before the authorities could get it under control.

This is one of the Christian Prisoners who died along with Muslim’s alike. Pain, Plague, disease and death are never bigoted in their choices. They favor all.

For poorer prisoners who couldn’t afford a proper coffin, we made ones out of simple wood, tin, ply or plastic. This one was going to have a plastic lid.

Some Christian friends had donated the new white material, lining this coffin.

The small Lady in the centre was our Christian Connection Her name was Ibu Swan or Mother Swan. She is a Chinese Indonesian.

Mother Swan has attended many, many Christian Funerals in Indonesia.

It seems to be the curse for Chinese Christians in the Country. “Finance & Funerals.”