Balibo Five

The Balibo Five were five journalists working for Australian or foreign media, who were killed in 1975 during Indonesia’s invasion of East Timor. They were reporting on the conflict in the town of Balibo when Indonesian troops attacked; the journalists were caught in the violence. Their deaths became a symbol of the broader struggle for East Timor’s independence from Indonesia. The incident raised international questions about whether the journalists were deliberately targeted or killed in crossfire, and it highlighted issues of press safety and political conflict in the region.