Poems Written Through Barbed-wire Fences by Ro Mehrooz, edited by James Byrne

This chapbook by Ro Mehrooz is the first time that the work of a single Rohingyan poet has appeared in print in a bilingual edition. The Rohingya people continue to experience genocide at the hands of the Myanmar military, so it is not surprising that Ro’s poems are full of anger, anguish and despair, although there are moments of light as he reflects upon the traditions and customs of his people. James Byrne’s informative introduction, together with Ro’s deeply-affecting poems, paint a stark and unforgettable picture of this war-torn, torture-ravaged and largely forgotten area of Myanmar.