Balibo
Encyclopedia
Balibo is a town in East Timor
situated approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the Indonesia
n border. It is located in the subdistrict
of Balibo, Bobonaro District.
It was estimated by Human Rights Watch
that 70% of the town was destroyed during the militia violence that preceded the vote on East Timorese independence.
Balibo achieved notoriety as the site of the killing of five Australia
n-based journalists now known as the Balibo Five
, by Indonesian forces on October 16, 1975 during an incursion by Indonesia into what was then Portuguese Timor
.
The town is home to a 400-year old fort, which was the scene of several battles during the Indonesian invasion in 1975. The Balibo Five
were also filming from the fort when Indonesian forces landed in Balibo on the day they died.
The Balibo Declaration, which criticised the declaration of independence and was later used by the Indonesian government as partial justification for its invasion, was said to have been signed here but was actually drafted by Indonesian intelligence and signed in Bali
, Indonesia.
During the INTERFET
mission after the Indonesian withdrawal, the fort was used as a base for approximately one thousand United Nations
troops, as part of Operation Lavarack. Kylie Minogue
performed an unplugged concert in Balibo to entertain United Nations
troops in 1999, as part of the Tour of Duty series of concerts.
In 2003, the government of Victoria, Australia purchased the house where the five journalists had stayed, as it had fallen into disrepair, and renovated it to serve as a creche, library and vocational training centre. International aid organizations have also been involved in other reconstruction work in the town, such as the rebuilding of a dormitory for schoolchildren from remote communities that had been razed during the militia attacks.
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
situated approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n border. It is located in the subdistrict
Subdistricts of East Timor
The districts of East Timor are divided into 65 subdistricts, with one designated as the capital. Each subdistrict is divided into several villages , the smallest political division of East Timor...
of Balibo, Bobonaro District.
It was estimated by Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
that 70% of the town was destroyed during the militia violence that preceded the vote on East Timorese independence.
Balibo achieved notoriety as the site of the killing of five Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n-based journalists now known as the Balibo Five
Balibo Five
The Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian television networks based in the town of Balibo in East Timor where they were killed on 16 October 1975 during Indonesian incursions prior to the invasion....
, by Indonesian forces on October 16, 1975 during an incursion by Indonesia into what was then Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor was the name of East Timor when it was under Portuguese control. During this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Netherlands East Indies, and later with Indonesia....
.
The town is home to a 400-year old fort, which was the scene of several battles during the Indonesian invasion in 1975. The Balibo Five
Balibo Five
The Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian television networks based in the town of Balibo in East Timor where they were killed on 16 October 1975 during Indonesian incursions prior to the invasion....
were also filming from the fort when Indonesian forces landed in Balibo on the day they died.
The Balibo Declaration, which criticised the declaration of independence and was later used by the Indonesian government as partial justification for its invasion, was said to have been signed here but was actually drafted by Indonesian intelligence and signed in Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
, Indonesia.
During the INTERFET
INTERFET
The International Force for East Timor was a multinational peacekeeping taskforce, mandated by the United Nations to address the humanitarian and security crisis which took place in East Timor from 1999–2000 until the arrival of United Nations peacekeepers...
mission after the Indonesian withdrawal, the fort was used as a base for approximately one thousand United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
troops, as part of Operation Lavarack. Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
performed an unplugged concert in Balibo to entertain United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
troops in 1999, as part of the Tour of Duty series of concerts.
In 2003, the government of Victoria, Australia purchased the house where the five journalists had stayed, as it had fallen into disrepair, and renovated it to serve as a creche, library and vocational training centre. International aid organizations have also been involved in other reconstruction work in the town, such as the rebuilding of a dormitory for schoolchildren from remote communities that had been razed during the militia attacks.