War crimes investigated in 1975 deaths of two British journalists
A war crimes investigation was launched on Wednesday into the killings of five journalists – including two Britons – during Indonesia's invasion of East Timor more than 30 years ago.
Australian police announced the probe two years after a coroner ruled that the deaths of the five, who included two Australians and a New Zealander, were deliberate and probably ordered by Indonesian commanders to conceal their part in the operation.
Indonesia has long claimed the five were caught in the crossfire between Indonesian troops and East Timorese, an account accepted by successive Australian governments.
The burned bodies of the five, including Britons Brian Peters, 29, and Malcolm Rennie, 28, were found in the town of Balibo, which was attacked by Indonesian special forces and their East Timorese proxies on October 16, 1975.
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Australian police announced the probe two years after a coroner ruled that the deaths of the five, who included two Australians and a New Zealander, were deliberate and probably ordered by Indonesian commanders to conceal their part in the operation.
Indonesia has long claimed the five were caught in the crossfire between Indonesian troops and East Timorese, an account accepted by successive Australian governments.
The burned bodies of the five, including Britons Brian Peters, 29, and Malcolm Rennie, 28, were found in the town of Balibo, which was attacked by Indonesian special forces and their East Timorese proxies on October 16, 1975.
The findings of the New South Wales coroner, Dorelle Pinch, that they were probably shot and stabbed by Indonesian special forced, sparked a diplomatic row with Jakarta.