Part 8/12:
By April 1963, tension on Pulau Sanang reached a boiling point. An expose revealed that detainees, overworked and deprived of water during intense heat, attacked a guard, initiating a violent riot involving about 14 detainees. The detainees fled into the jungle, signaling a significant unrest that challenged the very foundations of the rehabilitation experiment.
This violent outbreak marked a turning point. It suggested simmering discontent among the detainees, who felt abused and exploited. The riot was only the beginning of broader unrest that would eventually culminate in tragedy.