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Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo
(1948)
Roman Catholic bishop of Dili who, with Jose Ramos-Horta, received the
1996 Nobel Prize for Peace for their efforts to bring peace to East
Timor (Timor Timur), which has been under Indonesian control since 1975.
Belo was ordained a bishop in 1983. As spiritual leader of a territory
that is overwhelmingly Catholic, he became one of the primary spokesmen
of the Timorese people. He denounced the brutal tactics and oppressive
policies of the Indonesian government despite at least two attempts
on his life, in 1989 and 1991. Following a massacre of peaceful demonstrators
in Dili in 1991, Belo successfully campaigned for reforms in the military
and the dismissal of two generals. A strong believer in nonviolent resistance,
Belo sought peaceful means to settle the troubles in his homeland. In
an open letter written in July 1994, he outlined his concern for the
people of East Timor and proposed that the Indonesian government reduce
its military presence, expand the civil rights of citizens, and allow
East Timor to hold a democratic referendum on self-determination or,
barring that, grant East Timor special territorial status.
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