Bishop Belo's Nobel prize

Bishop Belo's Nobel prize

From Suara Karya

I am impressed by the wide coverage in the media on the gold medal of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize and a diploma conferred to Dili Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo of East Timor.

As a religious people, we feel proud, although Belo's departure to Oslo at the invitation of Norway's Nobel Committee was in his personal capacity, not as a representative of the state. This shows that Belo adheres to the values of Indonesia's culture.

As a religious and moral leader and non-politician, Belo appeared his usual self, despite the fact that the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to an Indonesian citizen for the first time. Seen from the spiritual and human rights aspects, his opinion deserves consideration. For example, it is very important to free East Timor's political detainees, in line with the second principle of Pancasila, "a just and civilized humanity". That step could aid in opening the way for peace.

Bishop Belo apparently is also valued as a spiritual leader who clearly sees, feels and fights for the sufferings of his congregation through his profession and his work. Supposing the majority of his congregation want him to be East Timor's governor? Perhaps his performance will have many shadings of peace and touches of a spiritual expert, without ignoring the material objectives of development. From the constitutional aspect, that is possible.

SUNGKOWO SUKAWERA

Bandung, West Java