Transcript

ASHLEY HALL: As we have just heard, one of the widows of the Balibo Five has expressed surprise at Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's decision to visit that cemetery where veterans of the Indonesian National Revolution are buried.

Shirley Shackleton's husband Greg Shackleton was one of five journalists who were deliberately killed by Indonesian forces at Balibo in East Timor in 1975.

Their remains are thought to be buried in Jakarta's main cemetery and that is the cemetery Shirley Shackleton would like the Prime Minister to visit.

She'd also like him to talk to the Indonesian government about bringing home the journalist’s remains in the near future.

Last November a New South Wales Coroner found there was enough evidence to prosecute two people over the deaths and she referred the matter directly to the Attorney-General.

Seven months on, the Australian Federal Police is still considering charges.

Shirley Shackleton has been speaking to The World Today's Alison Caldwell.

SHIRLEY SHACKLETON: Oh, I think it is fine that he is in Indonesia. I mean I have nothing against the Indonesian people. What I was surprised at was that Mr Rudd was putting a wreath on the Indonesian so-called hero's graves that you perhaps don't realise that Indonesia has never been invaded. The people that they are being honoured for, that they were fighting, were their own people.

So I am really surprised that Mr Rudd's advisors let him in for that and also my husband is up there with four very courageous journalists - the five of them known as the Balibo Five. They are in the main Jakarta cemetery. Mind you, he might have a lot of trouble finding the grave because it was moved to make room for a big development of a block of flats.

ALISON CALDWELL: And you'd like the Prime Minister to visit your husband's grave?

SHIRLEY SHACKLETON: Well, I think he could pay respect to his own people. If he can pay respects to Indonesian soldiers for fairly murky past, I think he could perhaps, well I am sure he would if he could. I am just amazed that no-one suggested it and I am trying to get a message through to him to ask very respectfully, would he consider doing that.

ALISON CALDWELL: Your husband's remains, Kevin Rudd last year, in November before the election, as Leader of the Opposition said that they would pursue getting the remains back.

SHIRLEY SHACKLETON: I never heard him actually say that. I thought he said that they would pursue laying charges against the murderers. Everyone seems to have heard that except me but in any case, I have written to Mr Rudd and I am expecting a letter any minute just saying well, really what is holding things up.

We need to have our people back in Australia and proper respect paid - a proper burial service in the country where they were born.

It seems to happen for, looks like that are going to… they bring back all kinds of soldiers and people murdered overseas or people who have fallen in battle.

ALISON CALDWELL: We heard a couple of months ago that Britain is considering launching legal action against two of the surviving former Indonesian military chiefs.

SHIRLEY SHACKLETON: Yes, because they are getting frustrated because absolutely nothing has happened here. It would be far better for it to be done from here and there is no reason for me to suspect that the Prime Minister isn't considering it. Of course, I would like to see charges laid.

By the way, I don't want the murderer, Yunus Yosfiah and Christoforus (da Silva), I do not want either of them strung up. I want them to explain who told them to go and why they were told to kill them because it was obviously a set up.

They were set up. They had to die. They had to die to protect somebody's reputation and what would be nice to know is what was all that going on then and it will all come out one day.

I just hope I am alive to hear it.

ALISON CALDWELL: Given that the Prime Minister is a former Australian diplomat and was the Opposition spokesman on Foreign Affairs, do you believe he might have more success at cutting through what is going on?

SHIRLEY SHACKLETON: I don't think he ought to waste his time trying to cut through what is going on, what has gone on for 33 years but if his relationship with Indonesia amounts to anything, all he has to do is say, “We would like them brought back”, and if it is worth anything, then the Indonesian people will say, “Well, we will be glad to get rid of them.”

ASHLEY HALL: Shirley Shackleton, the widow of one of the Balibo Five Greg Shackleton, speaking with Alison Caldwell.

A spokesman for the Attorney General Robert McClelland says it's up to the Australian Federal Police to decide if there is sufficient evidence to launch a prosecution over the deaths of the Balibo Five.