 |
Geelong Deanery |
|
|
|
Book Review: Bishop Belo, A hero of East Timor From the Place of the Dead: The epic struggles of Bishop Belo of East Timor Arnold S. Kohen, Foreword by The Dalai Lama, Lion, $24.95, 398 pages Australians have been justifiably horrified by the events of recent times in East Timor. But as many will be aware, abuse of human life has been rife there since Indonesian troops invaded the former Portuguese colony in 1975. It is estimated that a third of the country’s population have died since then as a result of war, famine and killings – a tragedy of human abuse even bigger than those in Cambodia or Bosnia. In the midst of this suffering Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996, has stood as a steadfast champion of his martyred people. This unique account of Bishop Belo’s life portrays his profound spirituality, his warm sense of humour and his skilful handling of politically sensitive issues. The book is also an expert account of a tortured country and of the politics in which it is embroiled. Kohen reveals the shocking extent of Western, particularly United States, complicity in the oppression of East Timor. The author, Arnold Kohen, is a former investigative reporter for NBC News. He has reported on East Timor for more than 20 years and benefited by substantial access to Bishop Belo to write this book. Originally published in the United States with little fanfare earlier this year, the book has been republished in an Australian-printed edition that includes a new afterword covering the independence referendum and its tragic aftermath. Photographs are also included. Kevin Mark |
|
To read PDF files download the Reader from the Adobe web site. |
