The five were killed while trying to report on invading Indonesian troops in East Timor [AFP]

Indonesia has warned Australia not to pursue an inquiry into the deaths of five journalists in East Timor more than 30 years ago.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Indonesian president, said on Thursday that the decision to launch a fresh investigation into the deaths of the so-called "Balibo Five" would harm relations between the three countries involved.

"Frankly, this of course goes against our desire to look to the future," he said.

"The desire of Indonesia and East Timor is to end all those things that harm our relationship, through our decision together to form the CTF [Commission of Truth and Friendship].

"This is important, so the good or even great relationship between Indonesia and Australia isn't harmed by problems that have arisen because of a mindset or way of thinking that, in our opinion, is inaccurate."

Shot dead

An Australian coroner ruled two years ago that the five journalists were shot dead by Indonesian soldiers in order to stifle news of the invasion of East Timor following the withdrawal of Portuguese forces in 1975, and recommended a new investigation,

Australia has sought to downplay fears of a rift in what is often a fragile relationship with its sprawling neighbour since federal police announced the new inquiry on Wednesday.

Stephen Smith, the Australian foreign minister, acknowledged that Indonesia was surprised by the decision, but said that he believed Jakarta would respond in a "calm and sensible way".

"We don't regard these as issues that will disturb the fundamentals of the relationship," Smith told public broadcaster ABC.

Case closed

The journalists had sought shelter in this house in Balibo town before they were killed [EPA]

Ties between Indonesia, East Timor and Australia are at an all-time high after years of tensions over Jakarta's annexation of East Timor and the bloodshed leading to the fledgling nation's 1999 referendum for independence.

But Teuku Faizasyah, an Indonesian foreign ministry, said the "case is closed".

"We are not even considering extradition of our nationals to face criminal charges on something that has already been resolved."

The announcement of the Australian investigation came just weeks after the release of a film, Balibo, which depicted the five reporters and a sixth Australian journalist, Roger East, being murdered by Indonesian troops.

While in July, Jose Ramos-Horta, the president of East Timor, said that at least one of the five journalists had been "brutally, brutally tortured".

Last year Indonesia accepted a report by the joint Indonesian-Timorese Commission of Truth and Friendship that blamed Jakarta for crimes against humanity during the 24-year occupation of East Timor, which ended with a 1999 referendum.

At least 100,000 people are estimated to have died through violence, preventable disease and starvation during Indonesia's occupation.

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