Comments: Probes on journalist killings in E. Timor

Australia hopes its relations with Indonesia won't be damaged by its launch of an investigation into the 1975 killing of five Australian-based journalists during an attack by Indonesian forces in East Timor, the Australian foreign minister said Thursday.

The Australian Federal Police probe announced Wednesday comes two years after an Australian coroner investigating the deaths found they were deliberate and probably ordered by senior Indonesian officers.

Your comments:
How can Australian talk about human rights while it enjoys killing people in Iraq and Afghanistan?

John Myers
Sydney

This is history that does not need to be dragged into the present. Civilians, including journalists, have always been casualties of these incursions. I feel that it would damage relations if they do go ahead with the inquiry.

Geoffrey Moulds
Sydney

Indonesia, if you ban Balibo, you are far away from being called a democracy! A head-in-the-sand policy does not make history go away.

Michael Beer
Bali

Don't sweep Malaysians, SBY says, Sept. 10, online

President Susilo Bambang Yudho-yono called on the Indonesian public Thursday not to sweep Malaysian citizens in the country, saying such an action was "excessive".

The President said the sweeping was against the law and would only put ties between Indonesia and Malaysia at risk.

Your comment:
Indonesians should not simply accuse Malaysia of stealing their culture, especially as both nations shared (and continue to share) large aspects of common heritage throughout the centuries; long before the concept of nation states and prior to the period of colonization.

Are the nationalist fanatics going to accuse Malaysia of stealing their language? Or perhaps some of their cuisine?

Unfortunately, such is the extremism and zealousness that nationalism leads to.

In the holy month of Ramadan, let the feelings of nationalist emotions make way for the brotherhood of Islam and a drive toward unity within the ummah in this part of the world.

Dawud Farquhar
Singapore