Sherman Report said to contain no solid evidence

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta issued yesterday a formal statement saying that the Sherman Report provided no new information that would prompt government to reconsider its position that the six foreign journalists killed in East Timor in 1976 died in crossfire between warring factions.

"We believe the report has not presented any factual or solid evidence that could shed further light on the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the five journalists in Balibo since it largely consists of data based on secondhand information or hearsay," it said in a statement.

Issued by the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the statement was of the assumption that the additional information provided in the report did not contradict the government's basic position.

Jakarta has maintained that the six foreign journalists who died in East Timor were caught in crossfire.

An Australian commission lead by National Crime Authority Chairman Tom Sherman last month concluded a six-month long inquiry and reported that the journalists were probably killed by Indonesian troops.

Five journalists -- Gary J. Cunningham, Greg J. Shackleton, Tony Stewart, Malcolm Harvie Rennie and Brian Peters -- were killed in Balibo, East Timor on Oct. 16, 1975. While another, freelance journalist Roger East, was allegedly executed in Dili two months later.

The former Portuguese colony of East Timor became part of Indonesia in 1976. The United Nations still recognizes Portugal as the territory's administrator.

Portugal, which colonized East Timor for about 450 years, abruptly left East Timor in 1975 following a civil war in the territory.

Indonesia said yesterday that Sherman himself in his report admitted much of the information on Balibo "was of poor quality in evidentiary terms".

It further pointed out that Sherman acknowledges that "no eyewitness to the actual killing of the Balibo five has emerged" and that "there are a considerable number of inconsistencies between the testimonies".

The credibility of the witnesses themselves were called into question as Sherman said in his report, "many of the persons providing information has little affection for Indonesia".

More importantly the statement noted that the journalists were reporting from an active war zone and that they had been warned several times of the dangers facing them.

"While it is unfortunate that these deaths occurred, it is a fact that East Timorese at the time were embroiled in a tragic civil war in which many people died," the statement said.

The foreign ministry statement concluded by saying that further investigation would not clear up the ambiguity nor serve any positive purpose.

"While it is unfortunate the tragic incident occurred, we should be realistic and consider the matter closed," it said, adding that continued investigation would only rekindle the grief of the journalists' families and the people of East Timor.

"We ask that the people of Australia join their Indonesian neighbors in honoring all those who sacrificed their lives during this dark period in East Timor's history," it said.(mds)