REVIEWS
Terrorist or informer?
- Published: 19 Nov 2012 at 00.00
- Newspaper section: Life
I first heard the term as a child when my parents took me to see the John Ford movie, The Informer. Victor McLaglen played Gypo Nolan who, for 50, betrays his fugitive friend to the British. McLaglen and hangers on soon drink down the reward and he regrets his act, but it's too late.
Shadow Dancer by Tom Bradby, 414 pp, 1999/2012 Corgi paperback. Available at Asia Books and leading bookshops, 395 baht
Informer, tout, grass, etc are pejoratives, the penalty is death in times of war and in some other circumstances. Its positive instance is when a whistle-blower exposes his company for manufacturing harmful products. Still, informing national security secrets to the enemy or organisations of mates to the authorities can't be condoned.
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