Ramadhian Fadillah, Jakarta – The Indonesian military (TNI) is cited as the party that murdered five Australian journalists in the film “Balibo”. The TNI however does not plan to make a rival film to straighten out what actually happened.

“Indeed one pubic move would be to counter information with information. But I think that in this case, there would be no use,” explained TNI Information Centre Director Air Vice Marshal Sagom Tamboen at his office in the TNI headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Wednesday December 2.

According to Tamboen, looking at examples overseas, there are indeed still parties that dislike the TNI and Indonesia. So whatever information is released by the TNI or the Indonesian government it will be regarded as untrue.

“So whatever we do, the response will surely be regarded as a fabrication. Yet we would not be fabricating it,” he explained.

Tamboen said that if there was a rival film it would only reopen old wounds between Indonesia and East Timor. “If we counter it, think first about [our] duties in East Timor, it would reopen old wounds in Indonesia’s relationship with East Timor,” he explained.

The TNI also supports the Balibo film not being shown in Indonesia. (rdf/gus)

Notes:

In a related article on the same day, Detik.com quoted Tamboen as saying it was correct for the Film Censorship Institute (LSF) to ban the film. He added that if the film were allowed to be shown in Indonesia, it would “...mean that we would be confirming their [the film maker’s] accusations that it’s true the TNI shot them.”

[Translated by James Balowski.]