MURDER OF BRITISH NEWSMEN IN EAST TIMOR

Early day motion 324, tabled 14 June 2005 by Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 79 members.

That this House notes that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office considers that British citizens Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters, who died at Balibo, East Timor, on 16th October 1975, were murdered; regrets that Indonesia's authorities have blocked the investigation into the deaths of those television newsmen, which was begun in 2000 by the United Nations; further regrets the blocking by Indonesia's authorities of United Nations investigations into some of the grievious crimes committed in East Timor in 1999; notes the undertakings made by the British Government in 2003 and 2004 to assist relatives of Mr Rennie and Mr Peters to obtain justice in the Balibo case; and looks forward to prompt and effective action on that case and on that of Financial Times newsmen Sander Thoenes, who was murdered in Dili, East Timor, on 21st September 1999.

Signatures by party: Labour 42, Liberal Democrat 22, Scottish National Party 6, Conservative 5, DUP 1, Independent 1, Plaid Cymru 1, UUP 1.