Also: ABC - E Timor to open memorial for Aust journalists
Journalist widow fights for justice
29Oct03
THE widow
of one of five Australian journalists killed in East Timor 28
years ago today called for their killers to be brought to justice ahead
of
the opening of a memorial for the men.
The house
in the village of Balibo where the five Australian-based
journalists were murdered by invading Indonesian forces will be used as
a
memorial, which will be opened by Victorian Premier Steve Bracks on Friday.
The dilapidated
house has been completely renovated and will be given to
the East Timorese Government for use by the community.
Shirley
Shackleton, the widow of journalist Greg Shackleton, will return to
East Timor for the ceremony, along with the families of the other men.
Shackleton
along with Channel Seven colleagues Gary Cunningham and Tony
Stewart, and Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie of Channel Nine were killed
in
October 1975 as they filmed Indonesian troops attacking Balibo.
Mrs Shackleton
told the Nine Network she had been back to the scene of
killings many times as she sought justice for their murders.
"These
men were murdered, cold blooded, pre-meditated murder and (their
killers) have never been called to a court," she said.
"We have never had a full judicial inquiry.
"I don't want (their killers) strung up but I want them in the witness box.
"I want to know what happened."
Mrs Shackleton
said the ceremony would be the first time all five families
had come together.
"There's
been nothing to bring us together ... (in the case) of the Bali
bombings, the families have been able to go over to do that, they've been
assisted to do that," she said.
"There's
been proper respect paid, there's been an inquiry, there's been
trials, there's been nothing like that for us."
Mrs Shackleton
said the memorial, partly funded by the Victorian
Government, was the first time proper respect had been paid to the men
at a
government level.
This report appears on news.com.au.