John Aglion, Dili – Jose Ramos-Horta, East Timor's president, has called for those responsible for the death of Sander Thoenes, the Financial Times journalist killed during 1999 violence in the territory, to be brought to justice.
No one has been put on trial for his killing. In November 2002 the Dili district court issued indictments against two Indonesian soldiers, Major Jacob Sarosa and Lieut Camilo dos Santos, for "crimes against humanity", including Thoenes's murder. Indonesia has not thoroughly investigated either man, let alone prosecuted them.
Thoenes was killed in September 1999 while reporting on anarchy in East Timor after the former Portuguese colony voted for independence on August 30 that year. At least 1,200 East Timorese are thought to have been killed in the violence surrounding the vote as the Indonesian military enacted a scorched-earth policy during their withdrawal.
Thoenes was not the first journalist to be killed in East Timor. In 1975, Australians Greg Shackleton and Tony Stewart, Britons Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie, and New Zealander Gary Cunningham were killed in the town of Balibo while covering the Indonesian invasion. Jakarta claims they were caught in the crossfire with rebels, but others, including Mr Ramos-Horta, have accused Indonesian soldiers.
Mr Ramos-Horta said the killers of the "Balibo five" should also be pursued. His stance on the journalists contrasts sharply with other political crimes. He and Xanana Gusmco, prime minister, believe that East Timor should not pursue Indonesian soldiers responsible for killing Timorese.
"It's not that one human life is worth more or less," he told the FT. "It's that... we have hundreds, if not thousands of East Timorese who collaborated with Indonesians. Are we going to try everybody?"
Teuku Faizasyah, an Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman, said Indonesia and East Timor were "nurturing reconciliation".
He said: "One would not even think to reopen past cases, not to mention the aspect of their practicality.
"If there are grievances from people of other nations who want to seek justice, we will see how strong the evidence is they can present, and which avenue is the most appropriate for it to be pursued through."
A United Nations commission in 2000 concluded that the Timorese victims' "basic human rights to justice, compensation and the truth must be fully respected", but nothing substantive has been done.
An Indonesian tribunal that heard evidence against 18 people, including senior military officers, acquitted all of them. Last year, Dili and Jakarta completed a truth and friendship commission inquiry into the 1999 atrocities, but no perpetrators were named and prosecutions were not recommended.
Atul Khare, the head of the current UN mission in East Timor, told the FT there should be a determination of truth, reparations for the victims, repentance on the part of perpetrators and a degree of accountability.
A strong grassroots desire remains for accountability for political crimes dating back to 1975. Aid agencies say that until the East Timorese government attempts to secure justice, it risks losing people's trust, which could, in turn, affect its ability to deliver other services.