Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie

HC Deb 25 January 1999 vol 324 cc144-5W

Mr. Harvey

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what communication the Government have had with the Australian Government since 1975 concerning investigations into the deaths of Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie; and if he will make a statement. [66850]

Mr. Fatchett

The Australian government have taken the lead on this issue as the two British journalists, one New Zealander and two Australians killed at Balibo, East Timor, in 1975 were based in Australia and worked for Australian television companies. We keep in regular contact with the Australian government and welcome their decision to refer recent new material on the killings, to Mr. Tom Sherman, who conducted the comprehensive 1996 report on Balibo, for his consideration.

During my meeting in Jakarta in October 1998, I raised the Balibo incident with President Habibi, who promised to look into the matter further.