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Escape from Manus

The Untold True Story

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Escape from Manus

By: Jaivet Ealom
Narrated by: Roy Joseph
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About this listen

The awe-inspiring story of the only person to successfully escape from Australia's notorious offshore detention centre on Manus Island.

In 2013 Jaivet Ealom fled Myanmar's brutal regime, where Rohingya like him were being persecuted and killed, and boarded a boat of asylum seekers bound for Australia. Instead of receiving refuge, he was transported to Australia's infamous Manus Regional Processing Centre.

Blistering hot days spent in shipping containers on the island melted into weeks, then years until, finally, facing either jail in Papua New Guinea or being returned to almost certain death in Myanmar, he took matters into his own hands.

Drawing inspiration from the hit show Prison Break, Jaivet meticulously planned his escape. He made it out alive but was stateless, with no ID or passport. While the nightmare of Manus was behind him, his true escape to freedom had only just begun.

How Jaivet made it to sanctuary in Canada in a six-month-long odyssey by foot, boat, car and plane, with nothing but his instinct for survival, is miraculous.

His story will astonish, anger and inspire you. It will make you reassess what it means to give refuge and redefine what can be achieved by one man determined to beat the odds.

©2021 Jaivet Ealom (P)2021 Penguin Random House Australia
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Gently told story of human cruely and kindness. I would love to meet this couragous man.
The story has made me view my political "leaders" in a whole new light and to read between the lines of what is reported in our media.

inspiring story of human resilience

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What an amazing story so shameful to hear what really happens on Manus to the refugees. It was eye opening to hear the depraved manner of the guards and scare tactics and inhumanity to man that the Australian Government has promoted and endorsed. Good on you Javiet for overcoming such evil and giving back to the community. A truely extraordinary tale!

An extraordinary tale of survival

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great book, amazing true life story, so awful Australia is treating refugees so terribly, very very shameful for us all

every word is high value, engaging, moving

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I knew Manus was a hell-hole and Operation Sovereign Borders is government spin on steroids, but this is an incredible and gripping eye-opener. Read it.

Powerful and amazing story

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As an Australian citizen whose parents escaped WW2 I am utterly ashamed of and disgusted with the treatment we give to refugees. Treating human beings as prisoners reminds me of Nazis Germany and the concentration camps.
The Australian Government needs to really rethink their policies and treat people humanly.
This book is a must read, I'm so glad that Jaivet persevered and managed to escape to Canada and is now living a proper life.

A Must Read for ALL AUSTRALIANS

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A deeply touching, hopeful and deeply heartbreaking account of an extraordinary tale of resilience, honesty & wit.

Must read for the every Australian

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.