§ Mr. Edgeasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonweatlh Affairs what is his policy towards the execution by Indonesian firing squad of British citizens Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie, at Balibo, 60 miles south-west of Dili, East Timor, on 18th October.
§ Mr. EnnalsI deeply deplore the untimely death of Britons abroad in any circumstances. We have kept in close touch with the Australian Government about this case. A report of the deaths of Mr. Rennie and Mr. Peters and three other members of an Australian television crew in East Timor on 16th October 1975, which was provided by the Indonesian authorities, states that they died when the house in which they were sheltering in company with FRETILIN forces was hit by mortar fire from the opposing UDT/APODETI forces. I have110W seen contradictory reports from FRETILIN sources. I regret that in view of the circumstances then prevailing in Timor, Her Majesty's Government have no means of ascertaining the precise truth.