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'Howard to pressure Horta to ratify Sunrise Agreement'

Australians for a Free East Timor Press Release - July 18, 2006

Howard is off to East Timor today, allegedly to meet the Aussie troops and the new PM Jose Ramos Horta. But we can be assured that his main purpose in meeting Horta will be to encourage, nay, demand, that he puts the CMATS agreement on Greater Sunrise to East Timor's parliament to ratify. Indeed Horta has already flagged that this is his intention. Indeed it is alleged that Horta's alleged 'very good friend' Alexander Downer has already rudely heavied him in this issue.

This is a very dangerous thing to do, as the agreement not only blatantly rips off East Timor's Royalties entitlement, but also cedes acreage to Australia which clearly belongs to East Timor under UNCLOS rules, including ceding all the Royalties at well over US$2bn from Corallina/Laminaria/Buffalo. Why can't certain Australian media get their heads around this and stop ridiculing East Timor's legitimate claims? Indeed Howard should agree to negotiate Maritime Boundaries with East Timor, under UNCLOS guidelines, in a time frame of no more than 1-2 years, and then the entitlements to oil and gas will become clear. This would also allow clarity on control of illegal fishing and smuggling, which must surely be in Australia's interests.

I had hoped that the present mandate given by President Xanana would disclude any ratifying of the CMATS agreement. I now call upon the Timor Leste Parliament NOT to ratify CMATS at least until after the next election. Under the secretive method of operation of the former Prime Minister, it is clear than only very few members would fully understand the issues enough to vote on such a vital matter for the future wellbeing of East Timor. An open discussion by a multi-party Commission, with support by INGOS and local NGOs, would be a good idea. I just don't understand how Horta can justify saying that ratifying a flawed ripoff treaty signed under duress is more important than good policy, or indeed to allow the correct parliamentary procedures to be allowed to be followed. After all, ratifying is the chance for parliament to judge the agreement, it is not a rubber stamp!

Perhaps journos should ask Howard if he feels in any way culpable for the present poverty induced unrest in East Timor, after ripping off their assets, withdrawing adequate armed forces and police prematurely (quite obvious as stated at the time), and will he change AusAid's policy of withdrawing funding for NGOs which show the mettle and ticker required to question some of Australia's policies.

For more information contact:

Rob Wesley-Smith
Darwin
08 89832113 0419 807175

Horta to Drive Gas Deal

Australian - July 11, 2006

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Dili – Jose Ramos Horta has been sworn in as East Timor's Prime Minister and immediately vowed to pass legislation ratifying a deal with Australia on the exploitation of natural gas in the Timor Sea.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said last night the renewed stability could see Australian troops withdrawing from Dili within weeks.

The Greater Sunrise agreement, signed by Mr Ramos Horta and Mr Downer in Sydney in January in a ceremony witnessed by John Howard and Mr Ramos Horta's predecessor, Mari Alkatiri, could see East Timor pocketing up to $13billion from Australia over the project's lifetime.

However, it has yet to be ratified in the Dili parliament, due to opposition from the ruling Fretilin party and other groups who feel it concedes too much to Canberra.

Mr Ramos Horta admitted yesterday the delay had damaged East Timor's credibility.

"We cannot be known as a country that signs agreements and then doesn't ratify them. Our credibility as a state and as a government is at stake," he said after being inaugurated by President Xanana Gusmao in a ceremony attended by foreign dignitaries including Australian ambassador Margaret Toomey and the Australian head of the multinational peacekeeping force, Brigadier Mick Slater.

"It sends a very bad signal to other governments, so this Government will look at the ratification as one of the priority issues."

Woodside said yesterday that while Mr Ramos Horta's reported remarks represented a change in attitude in Dili it would wait until the agreement was ratified both in Dili and Canberra before resuming work on Greater Sunrise.

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