'Don't prolong grief over journos' death'

JAKARTA (JP): Vice-Governor of the National Resilience Institute Juwono Sudarsono said yesterday that it would be best to leave the issue of the tragic death of six foreign journalists in the past.

"We understand the extent of the bereavement that has been going on for the past years but it would only prolong the grief if this were played up again," he told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

"It is so distant in the past and (the evidence) so murky it is best to stop," he added.

Canberra last week issued the findings of a commission headed by Tom Sherman which alleged that six journalists, including an Australian, covering the civil war in East Timor in 1975 were killed by Indonesian troops.

Indonesia has maintained that they were caught in the cross fire between two opposing East Timorese forces.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas on Tuesday said he was studying the report but had so far found no new evidence which would prompt a change in Jakarta's position.

Alatas added that while Canberra has not demanded a reply, there is a possibility that Jakarta might issue a statement.

The report has risen to become yet another potentially thorny issue in the rocky relations between Indonesia and Australia.

According to Juwono, the commission was formed last year to accommodate the public outcry commemorating the 20th anniversary of the journalists' death.

"It is part of Australia's domestic politics which the Keating government could not avoid," Juwono said.

He added that it was still acceptable as long as the commission's report accommodates the demands within Australia's domestic politics.

However, if the issue is pushed further "it would only prolong the grief of the families," he said.

"It is best to terminate the debate." (mds)