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Balibo Movie Ban Appeal Rejected by Jakarta Administrative Court
Ismira Lutfia | August 05, 2010

In this file photo, Shirley Shackleton, a widow of one of the "Balibo Five", was in the country in July to attend a hearing of the "Balibo" film ban by the Indonesian Censorship Institute. The ban was upheld by the Jakarta Administrative Court on Thursday. (EPA Photo/Mast Irham) In this file photo, Shirley Shackleton, a widow of one of the "Balibo Five", was in the country in July to attend a hearing of the "Balibo" film ban by the Indonesian Censorship Institute. The ban was upheld by the Jakarta Administrative Court on Thursday. (EPA Photo/Mast Irham)
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Jakarta. The Jakarta Administrative Court on Thursday rejected the Alliance of Independent Journalist's appeal to overturn the ban on the Australian film “Balibo.”

Sholeh Ali, a lawyer from the Legal Aid Center for the Press (LBH Pers), which is representing the Alliance of Independent Journalists, also known as AJI, in proceedings at the State Administrative Court, said the court's decision was "vague."

"The judges have referred to the wrong provisions and they have applied them to this case ambiguously," said Sholeh after the final hearing of the case ended.

Wahyu Dhyatmika, chairman of the Jakarta chapter of the AJI told the Jakarta Globe that they expected such an outcome.

The AJI blamed a lack of attentiveness from the judges when hearing the testimony of Shirley Shackleton, a widow of one of the Australian journalists killed in Dili.

"This is a setback to press freedom and free speech in Indonesia," said Wahyu, adding that they will file a fresh appeal to the verdict within a week.

Hendrayana, executive director of the LBH Pers, said the film "has been screened publicly in five cities without creating any problems,” and rejected the censorship body's assertion that the film was not fit to be screened because it could damage relations between Indonesia, East Timor and Australia.

In early December 2009, the Indonesian Censorship Institute, also know as the LSF, banned the film, which tells the story of five Australian journalists who were killed when Indonesian troops took over the border town of Balibo in East Timor in October 1975.

A sixth journalist died weeks later when Indonesian forces invaded Dili.

The movie was originally scheduled to screen at the Jakarta International Film Festival in December last year and was submitted to the LSF by the festival organizer.

The ban against the movie has not stopped its distribution as illegal pirated DVDs are freely available throughout Indonesia with vendors having reported a surge in sales of the movie after the original ban.