Balibo widow to face Indonesian court on film ban

Damon Gameau played Greg Shackelton in Balibo.Journalist Greg Shackleton’s widow Shirley is in Jakarta to testify before an Indonesia court that is hearing a petition against the banning of Robert Connolly’s Balibo.

“A film should never be banned in a country which is a democracy. Any organisation that tried to ban what the people want to see is making a mockery of democracy,”  said Shackleton.

Shackleton told the AFP that she was nervous because she’d be “cross-examined rather fiercely” in court, and dismissed the official Indonesian version that the Balibo five died in crossfire.

“This is about the film and the rights of the people here to watch, think, believe and say what they want, not what the government wants them to do. This film lets the cat out of the bag, you can’t keep it quiet any longer, the cat escapes. They have made a problem if they want to censor the film. I trust the Indonesian people to make up their own mind,” she added.

The Indonesian Government banned the film in 2009, but the Alliance of Independent Journalist has challenged the decision.

“Tomorrow is a lot bigger than only a trial about a film. This is Indonesia on trial in front of the whole world because democracy does not tell you what to think or watch or fear,” said Shackleton.

Update, 09/07/2010: The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Mrs. Shackleton faced “limited questions”, with judge Guruh Jaya Saputra asking her to provide ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers and interrupting her description of how the Balibo Five were killed, by saying “Enough, we know it already”.

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July 8th, 2010 at 5:03 pm

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Comments


  1. Robert Richards
    13 Jul 10
    8:03 PM

    2. This shameful episode in history has to be kept in the limelight, especially so for the younger generation who probably know nothing about what happened in 1975 and in later years. Channel 7 and 9 should step up to the plate by using the medium of their current affairs programs to keep this issue alive in the minds of all Australians and the world. After all, it was their former employees who paid the ultimate price for truth.

  2. Matt Norman
    14 Jul 10
    1:37 AM

    3. Hi Robert, my cousin John is the son to one of these journalists that were brutally murdered. The issue in that regard is that yes our current affairs programs should be getting the real truth out. To ban Balibo (Robert Connelly’s) brilliant film in the very place that this attrocity took place is like banning Rabbit Proof fence here in Australia.

    Wouldn’t it be amazing to actually see the Australia media stand up for Aussies rather than continue to knock them down and ignore them.

    Look at some of our greatest Journalists like John Pilger who has to work in the UK to get his work seen around the World. In Australia he would be hit with the tall poppy of this industry and shunned like ALL of our other successful talents.

    Robert, it is people like you that bring attention to this story that can change the way we move on this story. These are Aussie blokes that were over there doing their job. The networks spend millions of dollars to get exclusives of Drug Trafficker Shapel Corby but completely leave their own journo’s who have been murdered out of their own network round table.

    Yep, we live in a great country that so many people have died to protect. Seems that most people these days would rather spend their money on voting people off their favorite reality show than giving a damn about human life.

  3. Nathan Parker
    14 Jul 10
    2:19 AM

    4. Just shows how ashamed Indonesia is!
    It’s a disgrace what happen to Balibo 5.
    5 young Australians that were excited for
    No real reason!

  4. Monty
    14 Jul 10
    8:07 AM

    5. I lived in and worked in the media in Jakarta for 6 years and unfortunately, the majority of Indonesians are also more interested in voting people off Indonesian Idol, X Factor etc. Even if the film did make it to cinema’s, the government ‘Censor’ will probably change the subtitles or cut-out scenes they don’t want the nation to see. Indonesians themselves know this, and they think its quite funny when it happens. They did it with DaVinci Code with the scenes discussing anti-religious views. I know Davinci Code content is nothing as serious as Balibo – just an example. Im not sure if Indonesians are aware of the Balibo atrocity, but if they did, like all genocides in indonesia, they probably don’t really care as they have atrocities like this frequently (tsunami’s, plane crashes etc)…. And are maybe also a bit weary of westerners telling them what to do/watch etc.

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