Paul Mulvey – The widow of one of the Balibo Five has renewed calls for former prime minister Gough Whitlam to appear as a witness at the inquest into the death of one of the journalists killed in East Timor in 1975.
Shirley Shackelton has called on Mr Whitlam to have "the guts" to take the witness stand and reveal what he knew about intelligence reports relating to the Australia-based journalists' deaths during the Indonesian invasion of the town of Balibo.
Ms Shackelton, whose husband Greg was killed in the invasion, noted that Mr Whitlam had written in his 1997 book, Abiding Interests, that he had been advised he could not yet reveal what the government knew.
"I don't want Gough Whitlam hanged, I don't even want Yunus Yosfiah, who led the attack, to be hanged," she said.
A witness to the inquest into the death of one of the journalists, cameraman Brian Peters, identified Yosfiah, who later became Indonesia's information minister, as the officer who gave the orders to kill the five men.
"But I do want them on the witness stand," said Ms Shackelton. "That's why I'm challenging Gough Whitlam to come and just keep his word.
"He wrote in his book that this would all be revealed in the 30-year-rule, but he hasn't done it. That's two years ago, so I'm challenging him to get the guts to come to the court. Spill the beans Gough Whitlam, please. Maybe he is as innocent as he says he is. We deserve to know."
Following an application by Mr Peters' family, NSW Deputy State Coroner Dorelle Pinch ruled last December that Mr Whitlam would not be subpoenaed. But Ms Pinch did not rule out calling Mr Whitlam to testify at the current inquest into Mr Peters' death about the "intentions of the Indonesian government".
Former Australian government officers are due to give evidence about the alleged intercept of intelligence reports from Indonesia in 1975 when the inquest in Mr Peters' death resumes at the Glebe Coroner's Court on Thursday.
Official reports maintain Mr Shackleton, Mr Peters, Gary Cunningham, Tony Stewart and Malcolm Rennie were killed by crossfire during the Indonesian forces' attack on Balibo on October 16, 1975.
However, Ms Shackelton says she believes a cover-up was ordered from the highest levels. "The lies started on day one," she said.
Several East Timorese witnesses have told the inquest they saw the men executed by Indonesian forces, later saw the bodies being burned and that orders were issued to destroy any evidence.