Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 352 pages
- Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
- Edition: 1st Edition January 13, 2001
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 031226934X
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0312269340
-
Book Dimensions:
9.2 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
- Weighs: 1 pounds
From Publishers Weekly
Kohen's absorbing biography of Roman Catholic bishop Carlos Filipe Belo, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his human rights work in East Timor, should draw public attention to the tragedy of the island territory and former Portuguese colony, which was brutally invaded in 1975 by Indonesia and has been occupied by it ever since. A former NBC News reporter who has written for the Nation, Kohen traveled with Bishop Belo in the lush but impoverished and terrorized East Timor countryside between 1993 and 1997. He shows that Belo's crusade for East Timor's independence has deep personal roots. In 1948, at the age of three, Belo lost his father, who died as a result of severe wartime beatings inflicted by the Japanese. In 1981, Belo's brother, uncles and cousins were used as "human shields," forced to march in front of Indonesian troops to flush out guerrillas. Kohen attributes Belo's fierce sense of identity and stubbornness (he persevered despite death threats in a land where so many other activists have been killed) to his membership in one of East Timor's oldest ethnic groups, the Makassae. He exposes Vatican arm-twisting intended to bully Belo into silence and details the bishop's frustrating relations with the Clinton administration, which has mostly remained silent about East Timor. Kohen reports that East Timor is gradually being taken over by Indonesian immigrants in much the same way Tibet has been colonized by ChinaAhence the Dalai Lama's eloquent introduction, supporting a people "trying to keep their own culture and identity alive."
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Leader for peace in a tortured country, Bishop Belo of East Timor became the first Catholic bishop to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996. Foremost among leaders of his homeland, he has worked to end the suffering of his people. This sympathetic biography portrays the bishop and his country in the years before and during the Indonesian occupation, which has brought death and despair to so many. It reveals American support for Indonesia during this period and looks at the Vatican's complicated role. Investigative reporter Kohen traces the bishop's life from his village origins through his priesthood to his national and international role as his people's chief pastor. Like Oscar Romero, assassinated while celebrating mass in El Salvador; Desmond Tutu; and Archbishop Dom Helder Camara of Brazil, Belo provides an unforgettable example of how a human being of faith can change the world. The book includes an introduction by the Dalai Lama and a foreword by former Episcopal bishop of New York Paul Moore. For public and academic libraries.AJohn R. Leech, New York
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Reader ReviewsMany Americans have probably never heard of East Timor, and most of us--including those who are active followers of world affairs--would probably have some difficulty pinpointing it on a map. Arnold Kohen does a remarkable job of introducing this unfamiliar land. It's very hard not to feel sympathy and a healthy dose of admiration for the inhabitants of this long embattled nation. The book simultaneously serves as a hagiography of East Timor's heroic favorite son, and Bishop Belo's extraordinary life greatly enhances the work's inspirational level. Among East Timor's striking characteristics is the fact that it may be the strongest seat of Catholicism on Earth today. Over 85% Catholic (less than half was in the 1960's) its rate of practicing members puts most other countries to shame. The cathedral's 6 a.m. weekday Mass regularly has an overflow crowd of 1000+. John Cardinal O'Connor once told Bishop Belo how envious he was at East Timor's teeming seminarians. Even its Indonesian occupiers concede the Church's massive influence. Although they disdain Bishop Belo for his tireless devotion to human rights, they often unhappily allow him to mediate disputes with Timorese resistance fighters. The East Timorese greatly need this faith because the world has turned a blind eye toward the genocide inflicted upon them. Those of us in America who seethed under the reign of Bill Clinton probably never realized how culpable he was for tacitly approving these crimes against humanity. The author on numerous occasions sites examples where the United States after decades of inexplicable silence at Indonesia predation became a veritable proponent when Clinton--abandoning his campaign rhetoric about the suffering East Timorese--wanted expanded trade with the highly populated interloper. Bishop Belo is probably the only person in history to be awarded a Nobel peace Prize without a word of praise or congratulations from the Unites States Government because it was bestowed at a very inconvenient time for pending trade deals. The island nation faces an uncertain future, and all Catholics and others concerned with human rights should monitor the situation closely. Despite the unending brutal assaults bravely endured by the East Timorese citizens, their bold faith is a good omen that eventually their struggle will be victorious.
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