Detik.com
- December 2, 2009
Ramadhian
Fadillah, Jakarta – The Indonesian military (TNI) is cited as the party that
murdered five Australian journalists in the film "Balibo". The TNI
however does not plan to make a rival film to straighten out what actually
happened.
"Indeed
one pubic move would be to counter information with information. But I think
that in this case, there would be no use," explained TNI Information
Centre Director Air Vice Marshal Sagom Tamboen at his office in the TNI
headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Wednesday December 2.
According to
Tamboen, looking at examples overseas, there are indeed still parties that
dislike the TNI and Indonesia. So whatever information is released by the TNI
or the Indonesian government it will be regarded as untrue.
"So
whatever we do, the response will surely be regarded as a fabrication. Yet we
would not be fabricating it," he explained.
Tamboen said
that if there was a rival film it would only reopen old wounds between
Indonesia and East Timor. "If we counter it, think first about [our]
duties in East Timor, it would reopen old wounds in Indonesia's relationship
with East Timor," he explained.
The TNI also
supports the Balibo film not being shown in Indonesia. (rdf/gus)
Notes:
In a related
article on the same day, Detik.com quoted Tamboen as saying it was
correct for the Film Censorship Institute (LSF) to ban the film. He added that
if the film were allowed to be shown in Indonesia, it would "...mean that
we would be confirming their [the film maker's] accusations that it's true the
TNI shot them."
[Translated
by James Balowski.]
