KEY POINTS:
Those responsible for the death of New Zealand cameraman Gary Cunningham in East Timor in 1975 should be brought to justice, says Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Cullen.
Cunningham's family yesterday celebrated a long-awaited moment, when New South Wales Deputy State Coroner Dorelle Pinch declared the cameraman had died in what amounted to a war crime.
The coroner found Cunningham, Britons Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie and Australians Greg Shackleton and Tony Stewart were "shot and/or stabbed deliberately" by members of the Indonesian Special Forces (ISF) to prevent the journalists revealing the ISF's involvement in the October 1975 invasion of East Timor.
The evidence on which Dorelle Pinch ruled that war crimes "may have been committed" will now be forwarded to Australia's Commonwealth Attorney-General Philip Ruddock, who has the power to prosecute such cases.
Dr Cullen said the inquest finding was the latest step in a long process and he understood its significance for the Cunningham family.
Officials would be in touch with their Australian counterparts in the next few days to discuss the findings and any further legal steps.
"New Zealand has regularly raised with Indonesian authorities the importance of seeking accountability for past events," Dr Cullen said.
"We will continue to do so because we believe this is a key step towards bringing reconciliation and laying the foundations for a peaceful future in Timor Leste [East Timor]."
Official reports from Indonesia have maintained that the five, working for Australian television stations Channel Nine and Channel Seven, were killed by crossfire.
Green MP Keith Locke said New Zealand had a moral obligation to help the Cunningham family by supporting a war crimes case, even if it meant upsetting Indonesia.
"New Zealand has to give support to the family in any further legal proceedings now that it has been fairly clearly established it was murder in cold blood. This whole matter can't be wrapped up without a further trial of those responsible," Mr Locke said.
Cunningham's family - his brother Greig, sister Ann, and the son he never met, John Milkins - cried and embraced after the eight-week inquest's findings were read to a packed Glebe Coroners Court in Sydney.
"It's amazing the coroner has basically disproved all of the stories we've been told for the last 32 years about how and why they died," Greig Cunningham said outside the court.
"She's also indicated that war crimes were committed and named two people at least who should be prosecuted, and it's now up to the Australian, New Zealand and British governments to do something about it."
Melbourne-based Greig Cunningham remained angry at the New Zealand Government's lack of action and support.
"Gary was a New Zealand citizen, he died with a New Zealand passport, and they shunted the responsibility to the Australians, who took no responsibility. Where was the New Zealand Government's attendance today? Where was the consul-general?
" additional reporting: NZPA
