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Nightmare in Laos: The True Story of a Woman Imprisoned in a Communist Gulag
Hours after her husband, Kerry, was kidnapped by the Communist Laos government, Kay Danes tried to flee to Thailand with her two youngest children, only to be intercepted at the border. Torn from them and sent to a communist prison, it was then that the nightmare really began. Kay was forced to endure ten months of outrageous injustice and corruption while she and her husband fought for their freedom from behind the filth and squalor of one of Laos' secret gulags.Battling against a corrupt regime, she came to realise that there were many worse off people held captive in Laos - people without a voice, or any hope of freedom. Kay had to draw from the strength and spirit of those around her in order to survive this hidden hell, while the world media and Australian government tried desperately to have her and Kerry freed before it was too late and all hope was lost. For Kay, the sorrow and pain she saw people suffer at the hands of the regime in Laos where human rights are non-existent, will stay with her forever, and she vowed to tell the world what she has seen.
- GenresNonfiction
303 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2006
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 4, 2017
Nightmare in Laos is a frighteningly true story of an Australian couples 10 month stay in Laos' Foreigners Prison, after they were falsely arrested in 2000 for stealing sapphires. Danes' story provides reasonably graphic descriptions of the conditions within the prison and her dealings with other prisoners, the Laos authorities and Australian embassy staff. Told in an emotionally charged fashion, this is a book that will leave you seething with frustration at the injustice of the situation that they find themselves in.
Danes has written and published books on the events of what transpired under a range of different names. These were first published as Deliver Us From Evil before being re-released in the UK and Asia as Nightmare in Laos. In 2009 a more comprehensive account of their ordeal was republished as Standing Ground. The version I read, Nightmare in Laos, was purchased while on honeymoon in Thailand in 2008. Given the nature about which Danes writes, it was an interesting choice and one which I've subsequently re-read having forgotten most of what took place from that earlier reading!
Prior to their arrest the Danes were running a company which provided security to local and foreign businesses in Laos, one of whom was Gem Mining Lao who had been granted a 15-year concession from the Lao government to mine sapphires at Huay Xai. The foreign owners of this company fled Laos amidst charges of embezzlement at which point they appointed Kerry and Kay Danes as "caretakers" in their absence. With no one else in Laos available to be held accountable for the previous owners actions, the Laos secret police subsequently arrested the Danes and found them guilty of an investigation that had yet to be completed and which the authorities had yet to charge them for.
While awaiting charges to be made, the Danes are sent to Phonthong Prison, also known as the Foreigners Prison. Separated in the prison, each is forced to share a cell room measuring 3 metres x 4 metres with 5 or 6 other prisoners. Danes writes about the appalling conditions and we soon find out that the majority of prisoners have had no passed sentence and hadn't even been to court. Torture was used constantly in the prison, which combined with everything else resulted in Danes sufferuing from anxiety attacks, PTSD and losing 15 kilograms over the she spent incarcerated.
Danes story concentrates solely on her time in Phonthong and does a great job in bringing to light extremely serious human rights violations. However, despite telling an extremely brave story, the quality of writing isn't as good as other foreign prison stories, such as Marching Powder or The Damage Done. Not that there necessarily needs to be any comparison, as Danes' story is differentiated not least by the fact that she and her husband didn't actually commit any wrongdoing.
Nightmare in Laos is a thought provoking read that will make you question how you might react in similar circumstances should your personal freedom be inexplicably taken away. Danes has written an important story full of raw emotion on events that changed her life forever, and resulted in her becoming a human rights advocate in addition to being named as an Australian of the Year state finalist. We should all commend Danes for her courage in writing this story and for her subsequent actions in speaking up for those who can't.
Danes has written and published books on the events of what transpired under a range of different names. These were first published as Deliver Us From Evil before being re-released in the UK and Asia as Nightmare in Laos. In 2009 a more comprehensive account of their ordeal was republished as Standing Ground. The version I read, Nightmare in Laos, was purchased while on honeymoon in Thailand in 2008. Given the nature about which Danes writes, it was an interesting choice and one which I've subsequently re-read having forgotten most of what took place from that earlier reading!
Prior to their arrest the Danes were running a company which provided security to local and foreign businesses in Laos, one of whom was Gem Mining Lao who had been granted a 15-year concession from the Lao government to mine sapphires at Huay Xai. The foreign owners of this company fled Laos amidst charges of embezzlement at which point they appointed Kerry and Kay Danes as "caretakers" in their absence. With no one else in Laos available to be held accountable for the previous owners actions, the Laos secret police subsequently arrested the Danes and found them guilty of an investigation that had yet to be completed and which the authorities had yet to charge them for.
While awaiting charges to be made, the Danes are sent to Phonthong Prison, also known as the Foreigners Prison. Separated in the prison, each is forced to share a cell room measuring 3 metres x 4 metres with 5 or 6 other prisoners. Danes writes about the appalling conditions and we soon find out that the majority of prisoners have had no passed sentence and hadn't even been to court. Torture was used constantly in the prison, which combined with everything else resulted in Danes sufferuing from anxiety attacks, PTSD and losing 15 kilograms over the she spent incarcerated.
Danes story concentrates solely on her time in Phonthong and does a great job in bringing to light extremely serious human rights violations. However, despite telling an extremely brave story, the quality of writing isn't as good as other foreign prison stories, such as Marching Powder or The Damage Done. Not that there necessarily needs to be any comparison, as Danes' story is differentiated not least by the fact that she and her husband didn't actually commit any wrongdoing.
Nightmare in Laos is a thought provoking read that will make you question how you might react in similar circumstances should your personal freedom be inexplicably taken away. Danes has written an important story full of raw emotion on events that changed her life forever, and resulted in her becoming a human rights advocate in addition to being named as an Australian of the Year state finalist. We should all commend Danes for her courage in writing this story and for her subsequent actions in speaking up for those who can't.
February 21, 2018
What a horrible, incredible experience! It's inspiring to read how the author helped so many people after she was released from prison. I'm glad I didn't read this BEFORE I moved to Laos, but reading it while living in the country makes me appreciate the changes I can see around me.
October 22, 2021
It's not particularly well written, but that just adds to it for me. It's clearly just a couple of normal Aussie expats caught up in an impossible situation. It's great to see Kay has given her horrific experience so much meaning and has been able to support and improve the lives of other prisoners.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2021
Harrowing true story!
December 1, 2023
What a horrifying story. I knew nothing about this - was too young when it all happened to be paying attention! Thank goodness they were eventually freed. What a nightmare of corruption.
May 15, 2025
It's the second book I read about prison life. The first was Hotel Kerobokan by Kathryn Bonella. I think I like this kind of book. Something that reveals secrets of a particular place. Something that is based on a real event. While Hotel Kerobokan tells the stories of several inmates, Nightmare in Laos feels more personal because it was written by Kay Danes, the main character herself.
Kay and her husband, Kerry, worked for Lao Securicor as managers. The company provided a security guard for the Vientiane office of the country's biggest sapphire mine, Gem Mining Lao. They were accused of doing embezzlement, tax evasion, and destruction of evidence by Lao court.
They were captured suddenly right before they went on holiday to Thailand. Without a right justice process, they were held in prison for 10 months. During the detainment, Kay witnessed the sorrow and pain the prisoners felt. Human rights were non-existent there. A lot of people were held for no reason. It seemed like the Communist Lao government captured people out of suspicion only. They couldn't provide enough evidence to prove that the people they captured were guilty. The word 'kidnap' fits well in the synopsis.
The Lao government seemed like a child playing a law game. They abused the prisoners to death. Even though it didn't happen physically to Kay, I believe it was traumatizing. I found myself seeing and hearing the screams of the people being tortured through Kay's words. It's so heartbreaking to know that the police do something inhumane and force people to admit or sign the crime they didn't do. For what?
I felt Kay's desperation. She wrote with her heart, it's true. It didn't make me cry, but it created a hollow in my heart right after I closed the book. It's good that Kay is one of the prominent people who can help them who are treated unequally. I can't imagine being in that kind of situation. Being captive is hard when you don't have money. It's always about money in there.
What happened to Kay and Kerry reminded me of how vulnerable I am as a human. I can be on the top today, but there's no guarantee I'll be in the same position tomorrow. Life is a gamble. I just hope my life goes to the right place on the right path.
I'm grateful I came across the book. It was sitting on a shelf in the middle of a secondhand book store in Sydney road in Melbourne. I read the synopsis once and had no doubt that it'd be a good read. I was right.
I don't know why some people say it's not easy to read the book because of the author's writing style. I had no problem with it. The thing that I didn't really like is the font size. Somehow it's too small for my eyes. It made them tired when reading it for too long, especially at night. Overall, the book gave me a precious experience. It felt like I had gone to Laos myself. But no, thanks. I don't want to go there for real, even though people say it's safe now.
Kay and her husband, Kerry, worked for Lao Securicor as managers. The company provided a security guard for the Vientiane office of the country's biggest sapphire mine, Gem Mining Lao. They were accused of doing embezzlement, tax evasion, and destruction of evidence by Lao court.
They were captured suddenly right before they went on holiday to Thailand. Without a right justice process, they were held in prison for 10 months. During the detainment, Kay witnessed the sorrow and pain the prisoners felt. Human rights were non-existent there. A lot of people were held for no reason. It seemed like the Communist Lao government captured people out of suspicion only. They couldn't provide enough evidence to prove that the people they captured were guilty. The word 'kidnap' fits well in the synopsis.
The Lao government seemed like a child playing a law game. They abused the prisoners to death. Even though it didn't happen physically to Kay, I believe it was traumatizing. I found myself seeing and hearing the screams of the people being tortured through Kay's words. It's so heartbreaking to know that the police do something inhumane and force people to admit or sign the crime they didn't do. For what?
I felt Kay's desperation. She wrote with her heart, it's true. It didn't make me cry, but it created a hollow in my heart right after I closed the book. It's good that Kay is one of the prominent people who can help them who are treated unequally. I can't imagine being in that kind of situation. Being captive is hard when you don't have money. It's always about money in there.
What happened to Kay and Kerry reminded me of how vulnerable I am as a human. I can be on the top today, but there's no guarantee I'll be in the same position tomorrow. Life is a gamble. I just hope my life goes to the right place on the right path.
I'm grateful I came across the book. It was sitting on a shelf in the middle of a secondhand book store in Sydney road in Melbourne. I read the synopsis once and had no doubt that it'd be a good read. I was right.
I don't know why some people say it's not easy to read the book because of the author's writing style. I had no problem with it. The thing that I didn't really like is the font size. Somehow it's too small for my eyes. It made them tired when reading it for too long, especially at night. Overall, the book gave me a precious experience. It felt like I had gone to Laos myself. But no, thanks. I don't want to go there for real, even though people say it's safe now.
June 14, 2012
Although I should be reading the facts,empathising with Kay and Kerry Danes and the others whose human rights are abused at the Laotian prison, I found it difficult to read to the end because of the writing style. Anyway, having read the book, I'm never going Laos. I might get imprisoned for bizarre reasons.
February 3, 2008
valuable in that not many books are written about laos, and it's somewhat current.
December 7, 2008
Very touching very real. The good will always be bless. The evil and corrupt will die a painfull death.
August 14, 2012
This book is like eating your veges... it can be unpleasant, but definitely good for you. Difficult to read because of the author's very graphic, real descriptions of life in a Laos prison.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews