Local thinktank, the Canberra Institute, lobbied the ACT and federal governments in August to rename a section of Lennox Gardens, in Yarralumla, Balibo Walk and include the name on signposting in honour of the five Australian and New Zealand journalists the Balibo Five who were murdered in East Timor on October 16, 1975 by Indonesian troops. A sixth Australian journalist, Roger East, was later killed when he went to investigate the deaths of the five men.

Canberra Institute director Peter Conway received a letter last month from Chief Minister Jon Stanhope saying he was unable to support the proposal.

There is currently a small plaque dedicated to the Balibo Five in Lennox Gardens, installed in 1998. It is part of a more extensive walk honouring individual writers and groups who have fought for freedom of expression.

''While I appreciate your gesture and understand the desire to remind the community of the sometimes unspeakable cost of pursuing truth and freedom of expression, I feel it would be confusing and probably detract from the impact of the existing PEN Memorial Walk to single out the Balibo Five and create what would essentially be a 'walk within a walk','' Mr Stanhope said.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times