A call for a Darwin inquest into the death of journalist Roger East was made at the Q and A session which followed the Balibo film and associated Jill Jolliffe book launch . The issue was raised by Rob Wesley –Smith ,long involved in the East Timor struggle, thankfully recovered from his accident which saw him placed in an induced coma at RDH , who played the part of East in an anniversary re-enactment of his l975 slaughter in Dili.
He asked why Roger East had not been included in the 2007 Sydney inquest into the Balibo newsmen and if there was any move for a similar inquiry here in the Territory.
He asked why Roger East had not been included in the 2007 Sydney inquest into the Balibo newsmen and if there was any move for a similar inquiry here in the Territory.
Responding, film director , Rob Connolly, said it was a good question as East had lived in Darwin before he went to Timor ; perhaps the NT Government could be asked to hold one ,but he realised it was “ busy” at the moment, which drew laughs. He outlined the “amazing” genesis for the Sydney inquest. The sister of Balibo victim, Channel 9 cameraman Brian Peters, , had one day gone to a police station in Bristol, UK, and said she wanted to report the murder of a British citizen , a Sydney resident, who had been killed on October 16, l975 in East Timor . Her complaint had eventually led to the inquest in Australia which named persons said to be responsible for the deaths of the Balibo five . Connolly also suggested a memorial to East should be established in Darwin -a capital idea - as he had worked here with the Darwin Reconstruction Commission before going to Timor.
Then Connolly passed the question of a possible Territory inquest over to Jill Jolliffe . She explained NSW was the only state in which there was no statute of limitation into the death of a resident, and presumed legislation would have to be changed here for such an inquest. A review of the Balibo movie will be posted on this site very soon.
