Death in Balibo, Lies in Canberra

Since the 1970s, the deaths of five newsmen in Balibo, East Timor have nagged at consciences in Australia, Britain and New Zealand. This study reveals of the workings of a clandestine system of deceit, and names those involved in a 24-year trail of cover-ups and denial. The authors explore how, at first light on 16 October 1975, Indonesian special forces stormed the East Timor village of Balibo, killing the five newsmen. Did highly placed Australians secretly "sign off" on Indonesia's plan to invade its neighbour? Did they know that the newsmen were targets? Did they choose to leave these young men at the mercy of the Indonesian Army? In this book, a long-term analyst of Indonesian defence and foreign policy and an expert on military intelligence uncover what Canberra has been hiding. They present information about how two governments conspired to invade a country and how intelligence services allowed the "Balibo Five" to be executed to protect their sources.