From the Place of the Dead: The Epic Struggles of Bishop Belo of East Timor

by arnold-s-kohen

The heroic story of Bishop Carlos Belo, winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace for his Herculean efforts to end the Indonesian killing in the ravaged nation of East Timor.

Genres: History, Biography, Catholic

Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[CJ Craig]

An intensely detailed political account of East Timor through the life of Bishop Belo from 1974 to 1999. I learned some new things but did not really enjoy reading this. Also, the biographer emphasize's Belo's close relationships with the children at his compound in Dili during the 80s and 90s, and we now know that Belo perpetrated sexual abuse toward minors. Definitely another layer to the biography that wasn't known back in 1999 when published.

[Michele Benson · Rating 2 out of 5]

East Timor. (Timor-Leste) This is a southwestern Asian nation on the East side of an island that was occupied by Indonesia. Originally a Portuguese colony, Indonesia invaded in 1976 and the Timor people were abused. Bishop Belo fought for their independence. This is a highly detailed, political history of the conflict. Independence was finally established in 2002 after many in Timor were killed.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book. I will try to put into words what this book conveys, but most likely I will fail miserably, so here it goes. From the Place of the Dead is an enlightening biography about Bishop Belo and the East Timorese Genocide. Kohen does an amazing job of showing the kind of man Belo is; brave, loyal and devout, he never stops fighting to protect the people of his country. At the time of the genocide, Belo is put in the middle of very stressful and demanding circumstances. He must try to maintain peace between the Indonesian soldiers, who tend to be trigger friendly, and the East Timorese youth, who protest the genocide every chance they get. Belo also had to contend with the fact that some East Timorese protested violently, something that was against his ideas and religion, but also something he could find understandable and hard to condemn under the circumstances.
Kohen guides you through the events in East Timor and Bishop Belo's life masterfully. He gives you a clear picture of the East Timorese culture, history, and the reasons behind the invasion; from the corruptness of American, Australian and British governments and their love of oil, to the Vatican, that wouldn't lift a finger to help the 98% Catholic country. This book is both eyeopening and breathtaking. It is heartbreaking to read of the many sufferings of the East Timorese people and Bishop Belo himself; but it is also horrifying to read how the familiar names and countries helped facilitate those events. What I found the most unbelievable was the people of East Timor themselves. They never lost faith; and both men, women and children alike kept fighting for their freedoms with no one in the outside world to help them. So no I will leave you with the plea that you read this incredible book about an incredible man that fought a nonviolent battle against a super power and won.