Writing exclusively for the
City Hub, journalist
John Pilger has questioned the truth as depicted in
the film
Balibo which shows the lead-up and eventual deaths of six journalists by Indonesian troops during the 1975 Indonesian invasion of East Timor.
From an original script by respected playwright
David Williamson, the story was eventually pared down to whitewash Australia's active involvement along with the USA and the CIA invasion of East Timor to obtain the great wealth of oil that lies beneath the Timor Sea.
He has scathing words for then ambassador to Indonesia
Richard Woolcott who was at one in thinking with
Henry Kissinger on "
taking a pragmatic approach rather than a principled one" to get their hands on the tiny nation's wealth.
Balibo which stars
Anthony LaPagli ignores the fact Australian intelligence sources had already intercepted Indonesian army commands that "
no witnesses should be left alive" referring to the foreign media. They failed to warn the journalists of their imminent deaths.
Even worse. as Pilger says. Austalia's debt to the East Timorese who helped save Australia from the Japanese invasion in WW2 has never been fully repaid.
Pilger describes the Indonesian dictator
Suharto as responsible for more atrocities than
Pol Pot and recalls how
Rupert Murdoch's newspaper "
The Australian" constantly kowtowed to Suharto at the time.
During the 1991 infamous Dili Massacre when thousands of Timorese were slaughtered by Indonesian backed militias. the
PM John Howard prevaricated for nearly 2 weeks before responding to Timorese pleas and an outraged Australian public, to send in peace-keeping troops.
read the City Hub here
For the true history of the monster Suhurto : Pilgers film "
Death Of A Nation: DVD is available from ;
dennis@DVI.com.au
Never fear : there is a line-up of controversial names appearing with former PM Malcolm Fraser and ex-pollie Mark Latham, writers Salman Rushdie and John Pilger and some Russian controversy with the infamous Pussy Riot. Tickets are available here.
