About IFEX:

News by region:

IFEX Campaigns and Advocacy:

IFEX Email Products:

Opportunities and assistance:

Alerts - East Timor

---

East Timor

IFJ worried by threat against newspaper

The "Tempo Semanal" editor said he was concerned for the welfare of the organisation's personnel after receiving a threatening e-mail.

East Timor / Indonesia

Ten years after murder of "Financial Times" correspondent in East Timor, commemoration in London condemns impunity

IPI warns Indonesia's commitment to democracy is undermined by its apparent lack of will to end the impunity connected with the killing of Sander Thoenes and other journalists.

East Timor

ARTICLE 19 analyses draft media policy

While noting some positive features of the policy, ARTICLE 19 highlights a number of concerns as well, including the recommendation of a form of licencing for journalists.

Australia / East Timor / Indonesia

Australia investigates "Balibo Five" murders as war crimes

The Australian police investigation aims to establish whether the journalists' murders can be prosecuted as war crimes under the Geneva Conventions.

East Timor

Regional press freedom groups alarmed by draft media laws

(SEAPA/IFEX) - Regional press freedom groups call on TL's parliament to reconsider passage of laws that threaten free expression.

East Timor

Draft media laws are good step forward, but must be revised, says ARTICLE 19

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is a 20 March 2009 ARTICLE 19 press release:

East Timor

Government vows to decriminalise defamation

(SEAPA/IFEX) - The government of Timor Leste announced on 24 September 2008 its decision to decriminalise the country's Defamation Law, a move that was welcomed by the Timor Lorosa'e Journalists Association (TLJA).

East Timor

Journalist beaten by security forces lodges formal complaint; government apologises for unjustified use of force

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is an IFJ media release:

East Timor

Journalist and photographer detained, threatened by international peacekeepers; another photographer manhandled

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders condemns the action of the police in arresting and beating Agostinho da Costa, a "Timor Post" journalist, on the night of 22 to 23 February 2008 as he was travelling to the location in Kaikoli, near Dili, where his daily is printed in order to help prepare the next issue. He was freed the next day (see previous IFEX alert of 27 February 2008).

East Timor

Security forces beat, detain media worker overnight for breaking curfew

(SEAPA/IFEX) - The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) is alarmed to learn that East Timor security forces detained and assaulted a layout artist with a local daily, who violated the night curfew imposed after a state of emergency was declared following attacks on the country's top two leaders.

East Timor / Australia / Indonesia

Coroner says death of "Balibo Five" was premeditated war crime by Indonesian army

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders hails the work of New South Wales coroner Dorelle Pinch, who issued an inquest report on 16 November 2007 that establishes with great detail that the Indonesian army was responsible for the death of five British, Australian and New Zealander journalists in East Timor in 1975. The report clearly shows they were eliminated because they knew too much about Indonesia's invasion of East Timor, which was just getting under way.

East Timor

Newspaper office attacked, media worker beaten

(SEAPA/IFEX) - On 4 August 2007, amid political tensions arising from the controversial formation of the new government, an unknown group of men attacked the office of a major newspaper, "Suara Timor Lorosa'e" (STL).

East Timor / Australia / Indonesia

Australian government alleged to have covered up murders of "Balibo Five"

(RSF/IFEX) - As a Glebe Coroner's Court inquest into the murders of cameraman Brian Peters and four other TV journalists in the East Timor town of Balibo on 16 October 1975 draws to a close, Reporters Without Borders has called on deputy state coroner Dorelle Pinch to use all possible national and international police and judicial mechanisms to arrest those responsible.

East Timor / Australia / Indonesia

"Balibo Five" inquest told one of the journalists killed may have violated neutrality; MEAA proposes safety training

(MEAA/IFEX) - The following is a 10 May 2007 MEAA media release:

East Timor / Australia / Indonesia

"Balibo Five" inquest: former Australian prime minister suggests journalists acted irresponsibly

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has hailed the progress being made in the inquest into the 1975 deaths of cameraman Brian Peters and four other journalists in East Timor but deplored some of the comments made to the Coroners Court in Sydney on 8 May 2007 by former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and his defence minister, Bill Morrison.

East Timor / Australia / Indonesia

Inquest into deaths of "Balibo Five" points to high-level cover-up, former Australian PM to be summoned

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has hailed the resumption this week of an inquest into the murders of cameraman Brian Peters and four other journalists 32 years ago in East Timor, saying it hoped every aspect of their deaths would be clarified and insisting that it was not too late for those responsible to be punished.

East Timor

Journalist and cameraperson threatened by MP for covering inactivity of Parliament

(SEAPA/IFEX) - Amid rising political tensions in the run-off presidential election in East Timor, a member of the National Parliament has threatened a journalist and a cameraperson who were covering legislative activity in the building.

East Timor

Political party militants attack and injure journalist

(SEAPA/IFEX) - In a violence-marred presidential election campaign in Timor Leste (East Timor), militants from the incumbent party assaulted a journalist for taking their photographs while they were being searched at a security checkpoint, reports the Timor Lorosa'e Journalists Association (TLJA), a SEAPA partner based in the capital city, Dili.

East Timor / Australia / Indonesia

Warrant for arrest of former Indonesian army officer

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has hailed the warrant issued on 1 March 2007 by Sydney coroner Dorelle Pinch for the arrest of Yunus Yosfiah, the former Indonesian army officer who led the attack on the East Timor border town of Balibo on 16 October 1975 in which five journalists working for two Australian TV stations were killed.

East Timor / Australia / Indonesia

Under government pressure, Balibo Five hearings to be held in secret

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has voiced outrage at the pressure applied by the Australian federal government so that three hearings in a coroner's enquiry into the death of Brian Peters and four others journalists in East Timor in 1975 are held in camera.

East Timor / Australia / Indonesia

Australian officials said to have lied, destroyed evidence about Indonesia's premeditated murder of five journalists

(RSF/IFEX) - The testimony of former members of the Australian intelligence services, including George Brownbill and Ian Cunliffe, brought a major new development on the 11th and 12th days of a coroner's enquiry into the deaths of five foreign journalists on 16 October 1975 in the East Timor border village of Balibo.

East Timor / Australia / Indonesia

Witnesses describe how Indonesian troops covered up murder of "Balibo Five"

(RSF/IFEX) - In two more days of testimony on 9 and 12 February 2007 to a coroner's court in Glebe, Sydney, witnesses provided more details about the circumstances in which cameraman Brian Peters and four other journalist working for Australian TV stations died in the East Timor border village of Balibo on 16 October 1975.

East Timor / Australia / Indonesia

More witnesses confirm that "Balibo Five" were murdered by Indonesian forces

(RSF/IFEX) - An inquest being held in the Sydney suburb of Glebe into the death of British cameraman Brian Peters, one of a group of five journalists working for Australian TV stations who were killed in the East Timorese town of Balibo in 1975, heard dramatic allegations on 7 and 8 February 2007 about the multiple murders.

East Timor / Australia / Indonesia

Coroner's Court announces reopening of investigation into the deaths of "Balibo Five" in East Timor

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has hailed the reopening of the investigation into the death of TV cameraman Brian Peters, a member of a group of five journalists of Australian, New Zealand and British nationality who were killed by Indonesian soldiers and paramilitaries in East Timor in October 1975.

East Timor / Australia

IFJ urges Australian government not to impede long-awaited inquest into deaths of "Balibo Five" journalists 30 years ago

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a 19 December 2006 IFJ press release:

East Timor

As political violence rages, journalist stoned by mob, receives death threats

(SEAPA/IFEX) - A local Agence France-Presse (AFP) stringer, Nelson da Cruz, was struck in the face with a stone thrown by an unidentified youth while on his way to report a riot in Dili on 9 November 2006.

East Timor

IFJ condemns attack on, threats against public broadcasting station

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a 3 July 2006 IFJ media release:

East Timor

Opposition militants raid broadcaster TVTL

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has urged the authorities and foreign forces in East Timor to secure the offices of the main media outlet after nearly 40 opposition militants raided Timor-Leste television and radio station TVTL, on 29 June 2006. They ransacked the premises, manhandled employees and demanded that broadcasts be suspended.

East Timor

Newspaper staff attacked; reporter briefly detained

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has condemned a physical attack on 12 June 2006 on two employees of the "Timor Post" outside its premises in the capital, Dili. The newspaper, the country's leading independent daily, had previously received threats from supporters of Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri. A Timorese reporter working for the Associated Press was also briefly detained by Australian peacekeepers.

East Timor

IFJ concerned by reports of deteriorating situation for journalists

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is an IFJ media release:

East Timor

Violence undermining media reporting, warns IFJ

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is an IFJ media release:

East Timor

IPI seeks fresh investigation into 1975 and 1999 cases of killed journalists

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is a 10 March 2006 IPI letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan:

East Timor

IFJ calls for letters to the president urging him to veto penal code criminalising defamation

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is an IFJ media release:

East Timor

IPI urges president to block introduction of new penal code that includes harsh penalties for defamation

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is an IPI letter to East Timorese President H.E. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao:

East Timor

Defamation a criminal offence under new penal code

(SEAPA/IFEX) - SEAPA has expressed alarm over the media situation in East Timor after Prime Minister Mari Altakiri signed an executive decree approving a penal code that criminalises defamation.

East Timor

Government orders eviction of major newspaper

(SEAPA/IFEX) - East Timor's Land and Property Department has ordered the country's major and oldest local daily, "Suara Timor Lorosae", to leave its present premises in the capital of Dili within 60 days. Local media outlets believe that the move is in retaliation for the newspaper's constant criticism of the government.

East Timor

Australian journalist expelled

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has protested the East Timor government's expulsion of Australian freelance journalist Julian King even though a court in Dili had cleared him of charges brought by the police.

East Timor

Australian journalist arrested and threatened with expulsion

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed concern over the arrest and detention of Australian investigative journalist Julian King, who has been threatened with legal action and expulsion.

East Timor / Indonesia

Two Indonesian military officers indicted for murder of Dutch journalist

East Timor / Indonesia

CPJ disturbed by abandonment of investigation into murder of journalist Sander Thoenes

East Timor

Constitution fails to protect freedom of expression

East Timor

ARTICLE 19 critiques freedom of expression provisions in draft constitution for East Timor

East Timor

Indonesian journalist's killers convicted of "crimes against humanity"

East Timor

CPJ releases report on status of prosecutorial efforts one year after murder of journalists

East Timor

CPJ welcomes United Nations probe into 1975 murders of journalists

East Timor

Militia gang attacks Kupang journalists

East Timor

Indonesian soldiers probably killed Dutch journalist, coroner rules

East Timor

Initiative to help rebuild newspaper industry

East Timor / Australia

Spy agency investigates broadcaster, magazine over East Timor reports

East Timor

RSF report on press freedom violations

1 2