A long, valuable article on the role the Church is playing the current conflict in East Timor.

Many of you might remember the past bishop of Dili, Bishop Belo, a Salesian, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (along with another person) in 1996, for his efforts on behalf of peace and justice in East Timor. (Bishop Belo is now serving as a missionary in Mozambique, apparently).

From the first article:

The Church has been actively involved in this crisis from the very beginning, both as a safe haven for the people affected by it, and as a political player. The Church has for more than a year been one of the most vocal critics of East Timor’s first independent government. In April last year it staged a three-week demonstration against the government which involved trucking and bussing thousands of people into the capital from around the country, and then providing food, water and sanitation throughout. The highly disciplined Church network ensured that the demonstration remained peaceful and that it was not hijacked by other groups.

The trigger for the demonstration was the government’s plan to make religious education optional in government schools, and its failure to consult on the policy. But the strength and ferocity of the country’s biggest demonstration since independence also reflected the community’s deep-seated disaffection with the new government.

The former government ,dominated by Timorese who were exiled in Mozambique during the 24-year Indonesian occupation was perceived by the population as, at best, foreign and remote. Many people believed some of the key figures were Marxist, and certainly the Government showed increasing disdain for democratic principles. Last year it proposed making defamation a criminal offence, and this year the ruling FRETILIN party invited representatives from Communist Parties in China, Cuba, Mozambique and Portugal to address its Congress.

The former Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, stands accused of arming civilian hit squads to wipe out political opponents – including Church leaders. The Alkatiri Government had attempted to sideline the Church after independence even though priests and religious stayed behind and defended and protected the people during 24 brutal Indonesian years. In turn, adherence to the Catholic faith increased four-fold to more than 90 per cent.