Balibo Deaths Back in Spotlight

The 1975 deaths of two Australian, two British and a New Zealand journalist in Balibo, East Timor, are back in the political spotlight after a Sydney inquest found conclusive evidence of deliberate murder and lies by Indonesia, and complicit silence from the Australian government. A new book by NZ activist Maire Leadbeater reveals similar complicity in Wellington, following a policy on both sides of the Tasman to support Indonesia’s invasion of the newly independent East Timor. Last month, two Australian police officers barged into visiting Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso’s Sydney hotel room, demanding he testify at the inquest. The incident has caused a diplomatic storm between  Indonesia and Australia, with Australia anxious to appease its neighbour. The son of slain NZ cameraman Gary Cunningham, John Milkins, has asked the Australian government to officially apologise to the families of the  journalists, rather than try to “smooth the waters” with Indonesia: “For the Australian Government to apologise [to Indonesia] while the Balibo five families are still waiting for an apology, that is unacceptable to us.”