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Responding to Jose Ramos-Horta's media release on Timor Sea campaign

Timor Sea Justice Campaign (Melbourne) statement - July 22, 2005

The Timor Sea Justice Campaign Melbourne, has taken the opportunity to respond to East Timor's Foreign Minister, Jose Ramos-Horta's media release (dated 14 July, 2005) by reiterating the campaign's motivations and aims in the statement below.

The Timor Sea Justice Campaign's (TSJC) focus has always been on the inappropriate behaviour of the Australian Government, namely the unilateral exploitation of contested petroleum resources coupled with it's refusal to establish permanent maritime boundaries with East Timor in accordance with principles of current International Law.

The East Timorese negotiating team has done a commendable job in securing a larger share of royalties from the Greater Sunrise gas field, especially considering that they have been up against a hard-nosed and stonewalling Australian Government that has demonstrated that it has never had any intention of settling this matter in accordance with International Law.

The TSJC believes that fair and balanced negotiations can not take place in good faith when the more powerful of the parties is employing a 'might is right' attitude and has unilaterally taken over $2 billion in contested royalties. Therefore the TSJC has been calling upon the Australian Government to place contested royalties into a trust fund to be distributed accordingly once the dispute is settled.

In the face of repeated failed attempts to establish permanent maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea, the TSJC believes that it's time for the Australian Government to agree to take the matter to the International Court of Justice to let the 'independent umpire' to settle the dispute once and for all.

The Australian Government has a responsibility to reflect the Australian people's commitment to the notion of 'a fair go'. Our Government's complete failure to do this, is what the TSJC continues to criticise and work to readdress. The TSJC would like Australia to be known in the region as a law abiding, cooperative and helpful nation, not one that is willing to bully smaller and dramatically less wealthy nations, for its own financial gain.

The TSJC also desires the best for our neighbours and acknowledges the many challenges that East Timor faces in its continuing struggle for self-determination. In solidarity with a range of East Timorese civil society groups and activists, the TSJC will continue to call for permanent maritime boundaries to be established between our two countries in accordance with current International Law.

The proposed 'temporary resource sharing agreement' over the Greater Sunrise gas field is a welcome step forward and the 50% share of royalties that East Timor is set to receive is a considerable improvement on the miserly 18% previously offered by the Australian Government. However, there is still work to be done in settling the issues of sovereignty and without permanent maritime boundaries, such disputes are bound to reoccur if new resources are discovered.

While both Governments appear set to agree to the Greater Sunrise deal, the TSJC urges all Australians to reflect on what has happened in our names.

Terms such as 'fair' and 'adequate' and 'an improvement' have been used to describe the deal, but considering Australia's wealth and the level of hunger, illiteracy and preventable disease that East Timor currently faces, the TSJC would prefer if words such as 'generous' could accurately be used.

Given that the situation is akin to someone dying of thirst in the desert being forced to bargain over a price of water, the TSJC has never been in the business of criticising the East Timor Government. Our struggle is with our Government.

While there may be East Timorese civil society groups questioning the logic of signing deal that may jeopardise East Timor's claims of sovereignty, that is a debate for the East Timorese to have. The Timor Sea Justice Campaign meanwhile, will continue to challenge our (the Australian) Government to act fairly and in accordance with International Law. In solidarity,

Tom Clarke Co-ordinator, Timor Sea Justice Campaign, Melbourne.

Timor Sea Justice Campaign

The Timor Sea Justice Campaign is an independent campaign made up of concerned Australians working along side a range of individuals and NGOs to promote a prompt and just resolution to the Timor Sea dispute.

The Timor Sea Justice Campaign believes that East Timor should control All of the gas and oil fields it is entitled to under current international law, by the establishment of a permanent maritime boundary.
 

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