East Timor's struggle for independence under Indonesian occupation has dominated international headlines. Now, as UN troops uphold the August 1999 referendum calling for the island nation's self-rule, From the Place of the Dead offers the only up-to-date, comprehensive analysis of the confrontation through the eyes of one of the most extraordinary leaders to emerge from the crisis. Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, Winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1996, has been a fearless guardian of the basic human rights of the East Timorese people. Arnold Kohen's intimate knowledge of the political, religious, and social history of the region paints a penetrating portrait of this beleaguered nation and reveals the extent of international complicity in the violence. Winner of the Christopher Award, From the Place of the Dead is the definitive account of one of the worst human rights tragedies in contemporary history.