New evidence in killing of journalists

SYDNEY - The Australian Government may reinvestigate the killing of a New Zealand television cameraman and four other journalists during the Indonesian invasion of East Timor 25 years ago.

Pressure for a new inquiry follows claims by a witness who alleged that the newsmen were shot by General Yunus Yosfiah, who went on to become the Information Minister in the recent Government of President B.J. Habibie.

Gary Cunningham, a New Zealander working with Australian television, and four other journalists were killed in October 1975 when Indonesian special forces under the command of General Yosfiah - then a captain - attacked the Timorese village of Balibo.

Australia's Acting Justice Minister, Daryl Williams, opened the door to a possible reinvestigation of the killings, saying this week that, based on "new and different" information, there was merit in the reinvestigation proposal of the widow of one of the men, Greg Shackleton.

Mr Williams said he had received a copy of a letter Shirley Shackleton sent to Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, alleging that the men were not killed in crossfire but shot by General Yosfiah.

"I think the information that has been provided, as I understand it, is new and different," Mr Williams said.

"On that basis, I'm sure the Minister for Foreign Affairs will want to make sure it is appropriately investigated."

He said he would refer the letter to the appropriate channels for further advice.

SBS Television aired on Wednesday an interview with a man who claimed that he witnessed General Yosfiah gunning down four of the five men.

The witness, Tomas Goncalves, was head of Timorese forces allied to Indonesian troops.

General Yosfiah was commanding Indonesian troops at the time of the incident, but has denied any involvement.

The deaths of Cunningham, Shackleton, Tony Stewart and Australia-based Britons Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters became a cause celebre for Australian opponents of the Suharto regime.

Mrs Shackleton said this week that Australia must push for charges to be laid against General Yosfiah and the evidence must be tested in court.

She asked the Australian Government to request the Indonesian Government to commence criminal proceedings against the general.

"Mr Goncalves has put a great deal of evidence our way and it's simply up to us to see that that is tested in court," Mrs Shackleton wrote.

"If legal proceedings are diplomatically difficult then I ask that the Government announce a full judicial inquiry into the deaths of those brave newsmen."

In the SBS report, Tomas Goncalves told Mrs Shackleton that it was "the Army and Yunus [Yosfiah] who ended the life of the journalists."

Asked why Yosfiah opened fire when the men appeared to be surrendering, Goncalves said the soldier had to shoot "so they would not publicise what they saw to the outside world ..."

There have been three Australian Government reports into the Balibo murders, each naming Mr Goncalves as the key witness.

Mrs Shackleton said hundreds of stories had circulated about the "Balibo five" but they had come from Jakarta lobbyists or Indonesian propaganda sources.

She believed Mr Goncalves was telling the truth to clear his conscience.

"I sat and looked into his eyes and saw a man who's in a lot of pain himself.

"He was lied to by experts, as I have been.

"He has seen 25 years of thugs and psychopaths just rushing through that territory wiping out a third of the population.

"At no time did I think this man wasn't telling the truth."

- NZPA