Journalist defends boy soldier’s story
By Dave
September 22nd, 2008 | Leave a comment
Malcolm Knox writes in the Sydney Morning Herald that even as Cola Bilkuei told his remarkable story, Knox worried that this was another fantastic tale that wasn’t true, or at least was exaggerated. He didn’t want to become another Norma Khouri, a casualty of truth. In the wake of that and other scandals involving refugees-turned-heroes-turned-fallen-heroes, Knox finds himself examining “Cola’s Journey” and wondering if he checked out everything that could be checked out.
And the simple truth is, nobody knows for sure, not even Cola, who readily admits his memory is not perfect. He doesn’t even know when he was born.
Writes Knox: “Still, as a checker you can work with what you have. I spoke with Angelo Kuot, another Sudanese former child soldier who lives in Australia. Angelo had been part of Cola’s journey in Uganda, where they shared refuge in a Catholic mission. Kuot, a student and Australian army reservist, happily vouched for Cola.
“So what are we left with? Aside from boy soldiers, a priest and a lawyer who knew Cola in Africa, we have the assurances of the Australian government, which gave Cola his first passport and checked on him through cousins who already lived here….
“Ultimately, though, between what could be verified and what lies on the pages of Cola’s book, there will always remain a margin where we must simply take his word. Some will ask why any author’s word should be trusted. My answer is that if we take such a hard line, we will deprive ourselves of all oral history, of every story that is one person’s recollection.”
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