Chris Brummitt, Jakarta – Indonesia has banned three films about its long and bloody occupation of East Timor, saying allowing local audiences to see them could "reopen old wounds" as the two countries try to move forward.

The films were due to be shown at a film festival last month in the Indonesian capital.

Indonesian troops killed tens of thousands of people in East Timor during their 24-year-long occupation of the tiny half-island territory.

A final campaign of vengeance by anti-independence militia funded by Indonesia left 1,000 people dead after the country voted overwhelmingly for freedom in a UN sponsored referendum in 1999.

Jakarta has refused to cooperate with East Timorese courts that have indicted several officers for war crimes.

The two documentaries and one cartoon focus on alleged atrocities carried out during the occupation and UN led moves to reconcile pro and anti-independence villagers since the 1999 vote.

"We feared the films might 'reopen old wounds' at a time when a bridge of friendship is being built between East Timor and Indonesia," said Titie Said, head of Indonesia's film censor board.

The board often orders cuts in films, but the bans are some of the first it has handed down since the downfall of dictator Suharto in 1998, said Said, adding that the film makers were free to resubmit the films to the board.

James Leong, codirector of "Passabe", one of the banned documentaries, said he was disappointed about the banning. "We wanted to see what the Indonesian reaction would be like," the British director said.

He said several Indonesian students had seen the film at a screening in Singapore. "It seemed to be a part of their history that they don't know much about," he said.

Passabe is an East Timorese village that was home to a notorious pro-Jakarta militia. The film features scenes from a truth and reconciliation hearing in which a farmer confesses to killing a pro-independence villager.

Next week, the directors plan to travel to East Timor and show the film in villages that feature in it. Tensions between pro- and anti-independence factions can still run high in country.

"It will hopefully allow both sides to see the others' points of view," said Leong. "Perhaps I am being idealistic, but you never know."