(PINA/IFEX) – Indonesia’s Information Minister has declined to comment on new accusations he played a direct role in the killing of five Australian-based newsmen during the 1975 invasion of East Timor, the “Sydney Morning Herald” reported on 24 June 1999 (local time). A spokeswoman for Information Minister Yunus Yosfiah told the “Herald” in Jakarta that […]
(PINA/IFEX) – Indonesia’s Information Minister has declined to comment on
new accusations he played a direct role in the killing of five
Australian-based newsmen during the 1975 invasion of East Timor, the “Sydney
Morning Herald” reported on 24 June 1999 (local time). A spokeswoman for
Information Minister Yunus Yosfiah told the “Herald” in Jakarta that Yunus,
the field commander of an attack at the East Timor border town of Balibo
around the time the newsmen were killed, had commented “many, many times on
this case. Mr Yunus will not comment any more. I hope you understand,” the
spokeswoman said.
**Updates IFEX alerts of 21 June, 14 June, 31 May, 28 May, 25 May, 18 May,
10 May, 21
April, 20 April and 29 March 1999**
A former pro-Indonesian Timorese militia commander alleged he watched the
journalists standing outside a Balibo house as then army captain Yunus and
his soldiers opened fire on them, the “Herald” reported on 21 June.
Yunus admitted to the “Sydney Morning Herald” in May that he led the overall
attack on Balibo but denied having any knowledge at the time that five
foreigners had been killed. “To tell you the truth, the first time I knew
that my name was related to those journalists was 1982,” Yunus said during
an interview.
Background Information
East Timorese were scheduled to vote on 8 August in a referendum on possible
independence from Indonesian rule for the former Portuguese colony of
800,000 people. But on 23 June, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan
said the referendum is being postponed till later in August to allow the
security situation to become “conducive and appropriate”.
Six international media workers were killed when Indonesia invaded East
Timor in 1975. Organisations such as the International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) and Australian colleagues have called for investigations
into continuing allegations they were deliberately killed by Indonesian
forces or forces under Indonesian control (see IFEX alerts).
On 25 May 1999, Indonesian and Australian journalists’ organisations said
they will open a media safety office in the East Timor capital, Dili,
Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported. The announcement came amidst
attacks and threats by pro-Indonesian militia trying to stop journalists
covering violence and intimidation in the lead up to the August referendum.
