Alison Corke and Para Paheer who became penpals while Para was an asylum seeker on Christmas Island. Photo: Supplied
Para Paheer was one of thousands of Tamils targeted during the 26-year civil war in Sri Lanka from 1983 to 2009. The book The Power of Good People gives a riveting first-hand account of the events that shaped Para's life in war-torn Sri Lanka, his risky voyage to Christmas Island as an asylum seeker and the horrific treatment he received from the police. And then he became a penfriend with Australian Alison Corke - and his life changed.
