Good article, but I can't help but not share the optimism of the 'eventually, the truth will out'.

I understand why you're angry at the government but I also understand why they have to try their utmost to cover it up.

We aren't dealing with rational, enlightened cultures here, these people - at the highest levels of the Indonesian government, are terrorist sympathisers, anti-western bigots, not to mention the chaps who are actually suspected of ordering the killings.

This is why our government, and other western governments, need to go around the world forcing our superior values on savage cultures. We rely on trade now, we don't want to upset China on the Tibet issue, Indonesia on every issue, it's ridiculous.

The ONLY thing those with tribal values understand is force. We must crush any state who doesn't follow human rights, who would protect killers of journalists.

Globalisation has allowed backward, savage cultures - with appalling values, to become strong. I believe that ending colonialism was the racist thing the western world ever did. It's like abandoning your children...

The current President, SBY, actually denied J.I existed at first. Prominent politicians met regularly with J.I leader Abu Bakr Bashir - an Islamic bigot if there ever was one, and we know from poll after poll that many Indonesians support Jihadi terrorists.

It will be interesting to see what happens if the redneck cleric Bashir runs for President in 2009 like he says he will - democracy in Indonesia has only delivered backward Islamists more power.

Bring back the Dutch I say, and don't pull out until they share Dutch, i.e, human, values.

bless you, benjamin: it's good to be reminded how superior we are. or at least, how superior i am. you have simultaneously demonstrated ignorance, arrogance, racial or ethnic intolerance, which in turn reveals a certain failing in intellect. but i'm sure you will make your way in politics, there will be openings in the back rooms of the liberal party for men of your quality. not the front, i'm afraid- the frothing mouth turns away the lily livered swing voter.

or failing that, alan jones left a blank spot at channel nine, if you're younger and prettier you should apply.

DEMOS, how could you be so unkind?

The five journalists should be given an award all right. The Darwin Award for being stupid enough to be there in the first place. They had more than a fair idea of what was about to happen and they should have known what Indonesians thought of the Australian press, considering all the adverse comments which had been made in Australian newspapers before that. They were also warned not to go so the outcome was on their own heads. I'm sorry for the ones they left behind, because it need not have happened. It didn't need another inquiry/inquest to confirm to us what bastards the Indonesians are. The five journo's already knew.

Well done Bruce.

But I wouldn't expect the Howard Government to give these 5 Australian war correspondent's memories or their families a fair go.

Unless there's electoral gain in it.

Its no longer in Howard's nature. Too much macho proximity to Bush Jnr. has dulled Howard's sensitivities, I suspect.

As for Downer Jnr, he's Jnr.

Pete

I think the so-called Australian "coronial investigation" has zero value and has no correlation with the truth. It is a trap designed to bash and smear Indonesia, set-up by anti-Indonesian elements in Australia. There is no representative of Indonesia to defend our case, and hence the outcome is predetermined to be anti-Indonesian as well. Hence, such joke of an "investigation" has as much value as a Nazi show-trial.

The truth is, these Australian war correspondents were killed since they were with the Fretilin communist gunmen when Indonesian soldiers arrived. Many Fretilin gunmen were killed, and the five journalists were killed due to their close proximity with the communist enemy. The people to be blamed are the journalists themselves, since they decided to stay with the armed communist enemy in a conflict situation. Additionally, people who don't want to get hurt should not choose to become war correspondent since death is an unavoidable risk for all war correspondents.

As for the allegation that Indonesia wanted to "hide" its take-over of East Timor, that is just ridicilous. Indonesia quite openly launched the military operation to take-over East Timor, we never need to hide this fact from anyone. Especially not Australia, since it is Australia and USA who persuaded Suharto to invade East Timor to crush rising Fretilin communism there. Indonesia itself prudly made monuments to celebrate the operation to crush communism in East Timor.

So "Proud to be Indonesian" you must be very proud of the thousands of people in East Timor raped and slaughtered by your forces from 1975 to 1999? Having just spent an extended period in the country and having travelled to every corner, the physical evidence of the crimes by the Indonesians is everywhere. And that's before you start talking to pretty much anyone you meet and hearing about how many of their family members were killed by the Indonesians over the years. Oh, but yes the Indonesians did need to destroy the country in 1999 as a) a farewell gesture, b) one more effort to root out the evil communists, c) to prove they were immature thugs?

There should be a planeload of Indonesian political and military leaders (and their "militia" stooges) hauled off to the Hague to face charges for crimes against humanity and genocide for the events of 1999. But it will never happen, not with Australia offering cover by putting its economic interests ahead of basic morality.

Oh, and kudos to the other posters above for their "it's the bum's fault for getting in the way of the murderer's bullets" arguments above. Are you frustrated that Stalin isn't around offering jobs? (And I'd love to hear your take on all those Catholic priests, nuns and faithful who were stupid enough to get in the way of all those Indonesian bullets in Suai in 1999.)