KILLING OF NEWSMEN IN EAST TIMOR

Early day motion 338, tabled 1 November 2001 by Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 150 members.

That this House looks forward to the outcome of the United Nations investigation into the deaths at Balibo, East Timor, on 16th October 1975 of two television news teams, one composed of Britons Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters; welcomes the Australian Government's candour in releasing papers that show that intermediaries for Indonesia's generals informed the Australian Government, from mid-1974, of Indonesia's plans to take control of East Timor and, just prior to the Balibo attack, of Indonesia's plans for a full scale invasion of East Timor then scheduled for mid-October 1975, including the seizure of Balibo; and backs the call of the British newsman's relatives that, given the most exceptional circumstances of this case, Her Majesty's Government should make available, forthwith, all its non-intelligence papers on the Balibo case for study by the United Nations, the relatives and independent experts.

Signatures by party: Labour 87, Liberal Democrat 36, Conservative 7, Labour/Co-operative 6, Scottish National Party 4, UUP 4, Plaid Cymru 3, DUP 2, Independent 1.