SMH
February 7, 2009
From the hell of his Bangkok prison cell, the writer Harry Nicolaides reveals the horror of his daily battle to survive.
We are woken at 6 and counted in the cell. Mine is 12 metres long and just over four metres wide, holding 50 or 60 prisoners, mostly Thais, mostly murderers and rapists. The cell has one toilet, which is a hole in the ground, and poor ventilation. I sleep in a face mask because tuberculosis and pneumonia are common. I've been in this jail for five months, since my arrest in September.My book, Verisimilitude, was a rather clumsy first attempt at fiction - only 50 copies were printed and seven sold. I love Thailand and respect the royal family. It was never my intention to offend anyone.
For breakfast I have soy milk and a biscuit. The prisoners wash and shave around troughs covered in grime. The water is changed once a week. Then there's assembly. We stand to attention as the Thai flag is raised. We're asked to pray to a large gold Buddha. I use the time to collect my thoughts and think about my loved ones.
The guards make long speeches in Thai. I imagine they're about prison etiquette.
I'm then taken upstairs with other foreigners to clean another cell block.
After that we're at leisure for a while. I used to walk around, but I can't help but encounter the weak and the feeble - such as men with TB, languishing on benches. It deadens me. So I try to spend my time replying to the many letters I receive. Letters keep me alive.
We are allowed one 30-minute visit a day, but not on weekends or holidays. The hardest part is returning to my cell after a visit from family or friends. I break down when I think how they're suffering.
At 12 the lunch bell rings. The food is mostly fish bones in hot water, extremely spicy, with rice. I've tried it and felt unwell.
I can't afford to fall sick - the mental strain is enough - so my family send me some chicken and a salad every day.
There are 20 or 25 cats that run into the mess hall before the prisoners. Some men put cigarettes in the cats' mouths or do other unspeakable things to them.
I am barefoot most of my day. It is partly a security measure so we can't climb the electrified, barbed-wire fence, and partly custom. But the floors are covered with fish bones, saliva and cat vomit, so my feet are black.
I am led to court in shackles and chains. It's positively medieval. They're degrading and they bruise and lacerate the ankles. They make you feel you're guilty.
They say that it is easy to get to someone in a prison like this, so I am always on the alert.
I have met some colourful characters, like Viktor Bout, the suspected Russian arms dealer. He's an unassuming, softly spoken man.
He gave me some garlic the other day - and a manuscript of his life story to edit. I haven't looked at it yet. Lots of people give me manuscripts about their lives and cases. They seem to think I'm a BBC journalist, of all things.
At 4pm we're locked up until 6am. My patch is about a foot wide, the length of my body. I cannot move to the left or right without pressing on another person. I cannot stretch out my legs without kicking someone.
On the king's 81st birthday I saw fireworks in the distance. Some prisoners had tears in their eyes, praising a man they regard not just as their king but their father. I may not be Thai, but I am a son, and I know what it means to love a father. I am applying for a royal pardon. I pray the king learns of my plight so I might enjoy his grace.
When I've finished my chicken, Thais beg for my scraps.
The fluorescent lights stay on at night, so I sleep with a box over my head. I toss and turn on a thin mat on the hard floor. And this, too, shall pass, other foreigners tell me. It's an old adage and true. But time passes very slowly here.
As told to Andrew Marshall
If only Harry had of chosen to join the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan, instead of swanning around Thailand soaking up the mystic vibe.
Had he chosen the Islamic terrorism road like Australia's celebrity " beautiful people" and Labor Party's "Our David" aka David Hicks did, he would have been back home in Australia by now armed with a phalanx of Australian taxpayer funded celebrity beautiful people Lawyers,all salivating over a compensation claim, for a violation of his rights or the right to kill infidels or the right to choose to choose or the right to not to choose to not choose or some such other crap.
Kevin 07 where are you and your legions of beautiful people, and carers and sharers?
surely there is a movie star or actor / tress / union official / community organizer you could ask advice from, or a committee of comrades made up of "diverse cultural and socio economic backgrounds" even, who could tell you what to do, what about the Jan. 2008 gabfest where you and your government asked various celebrities and movie stars "hey tell us what to do ? after you had won government in Nov.2007.
Harry Nicolaides is one Australian that Australia actually NEEDS, Harry Nicolaides is a man of worth, of some good to Australia and indeed mankind.. Harry Nicolaides needs the help of his fellow Australians NOW via Australia's diplomatic service at the highest level.
Kevin 07 the office of the Australian Prime Minister comes with many, many responsibilities one of them is acting, when required to ensure that Australians abroad are looked after and not persecuted in a totally inhumane despotic manner for in Harry's case writing FICTION.
Kevin 07 why don't you and your cabal of all wise all knowing leftists, Islamist apologists and beautiful people, protest about this appalling injustice at least half as much as you all did about self confessed Islamic Terrorist David Hicks been removed from the battlefield and detained ?
Kevin 07, you can give ten million of Australian taxpayers dollars to Islamic Terrorist and Assassins in Gaza, so they can re arm and resupply and kill more Jews, how much of Australian Taxpayers money have you proscribed to assist Harry Nicolaides ? $10,000,000 ? $5,000,000 ?
$2,000,000? $ 1,000,000 ? How much Kevin 07 ? "COME CLEAN"
Kevin 07, Australian's , you remember them, the people you are required to represent and who's interests you are obligated to protect at all times, would like to know,or are you and your fellow socialists in the Labor Party taking orders from what you consider to be a higher authority, as in Kevin 07 a citizen of the New World Order ?
Kevin 07 forget about the sky falling,cows farting, cutting off power to our hot water heaters and taxing the air we breath, DO something of WORTH, something of value, get this Australian out of this hell hole NOW.. I know, I know he is not a terrorist he is not a drug courier / dealer / addict but just pretend he is, and get him out, or is Harry Nicolaides of the wrong Religious / ideological persuasion?
Do some thing for this AUSTRALIAN you incompetent arse clown, pretend he is Australia's very own "Hollywood Idiot Wannebee" and is having a baby and you rush to her side to visit her after the birth for a photo op or worse still a payback for services rendered.
Australian PM Kevin " I have never been a socialist" Rudd,seen here about to pay homage / respect / honour, to Labor supporter and "one of the most beautiful women in the world" actor / actress, Cate Blanchett
at the Mater Private Hospital,in North Sydney of all places,
following the birth of her baby.
What do you think is in the box ? The thoughts of Mao ?
Kevin 07 and "one of the most beautiful women in the world" Cate Blanchett, seen here in a private and may I say pensive emotion charged moment, not that the average Australian would know from their persona shown in the above "candid" picture at the 2020 summit organized by Kevin 07 himself, where Kevin 07 asked Australia's most beautiful and politically correct people,how they wanted him to govern Australia,in their and the worlds best interests.(there was no mention of "in Australia's best interest's", however I am sure he was so busy he forgot to include that, what I am sure is in his mind a minor consideration)
After hours of mind numbing discourse, that would undoubtedly cause a lesser man or indeed a lesser "one of the worlds most beautiful women in the world" aka Cate Blanchett, to stumble and faulter, It appears that Kevin 07 and Cate Blanchett are at least able to chill out during their thankless task of plotting Australia's future to the year 2020.
At last!!!! Problems SOLVED!!!!!Relax Australia and indeed the WORLD, ALL'S WELL!!!
Nothing to see here, move along now, move along, problems solved,
there will be Peace in our Time
This picture of Australia's very own "Dear Leader" and his most intimate advisor "one of the most beautiful women in the world" aka. Cate Blanchett,
clearly show Australians have nothing to worry about, and might I say if only the entire world would take advice from these two great minds it might well be a better place within hours of taking such advice.
And what exactly were Australia's problems that these two great minds solved I hear you say, well I cannot tell you the details, however, I can show you a picture that will shed some light on the error of our ways (not necessarily mine but defiantly yours)note the defining moment captured here by an Aussie News & Views photographer, as Australia's very own "Dear Leader" aka Kevin 07, and "one of the worlds most beautiful women" aka. Cate Blanchett see something that only people with such insight can see and from there are able to plot Australia's future until the year 2020.
Stop Press !!!!! Australia's Future is Tax, more Tax and MORE TAX!!
I am sure Kevin 07 has taken instructions and issued the appropriate executive orders to rectify any problems that may prevent Cate from "birthing" in a Multicultural 4 bed Unisex Medicare public Hospital ward at Liverpool or better still Aurburn Hospital, again.
The Bottom Line Kevin 07 is, attend to what is of worth and value to AUSTRALIANS,I can believe that is an obscene concept for you and your government however,after all that's what you were elected to do.
Get Harry Nicolaides arse back on Australian soil NOW!!!!
