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Former soldier voices concern that Australia's bullish tactics in dispute over Timor's gas and oil is eroding INTERFET's legacy
Timor Sea Justice Campaign Media Release - September 20, 2014
A former Australian soldier who was amongst the first to land in East Timor as part of the INTERFET mission says he is concerned the Australian Government's bullish approach in the dispute over Timor's oil and gas was jeopardising the legacy of goodwill the peacekeeping forces generated.
Chip Henriss, who served with the Australian Army's 3rd Brigade, said he was profoundly proud of Australia's role at the time.
"It seemed to capture the notion of 'a fair go' that my country so embraces. However, in the years that followed, I began to ask myself, was our Government's motivation as pure as it would have us believe? Were we in East Timor to selflessly end the bloodshed or were we also eying off East Timor's vast oil and gas reserves?" said Mr Henriss.
Mr Henriss said his doubts started growing in March 2002 – just two month's before East Timor would finally become an independent nation – when Australia withdrew its recognition of the maritime boundary jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea.
"Turning your back on the independent umpire isn't something you do if you intend to play by the rules – it's something you do when you're up to no good and you know it," said Mr Henriss.
As a result of the very lopsided negotiations which followed, Australia managed to short-change East Timor out of billions of dollars of government revenue from oil and gas fields. Australia refused to set maritime boundaries with East Timor and instead cornered the poorest nation in Asia into a series of dodgy 'temporary resource sharing agreements'.
"Fifteen years ago I thought INTERFET would have a great and lasting legacy in East Timor, but today I'm concerned the greed of successive Australian Governments and big oil companies is slowly but surely eroding the goodwill that the Australian Defence Force soldiers I served with helped to create," said Mr Henriss.
The former soldier said if the Prime Minister Tony Abbott wants him to believe Australia went into East Timor to help them transition to independence – the PM would need to prove it.
"Our Prime Minister Tony Abott needs to finish the job that John Howard supposedly began. He needs to draw the line and set permanent maritime boundaries with East Timor so our neighbours can benefit from the natural resources that they are entitled to," said Mr Henriss.
The Timor Sea Justice Campaign's Melbourne spokesperson, Tom Clarke, said in situations such as this one, international law calls for a 'median line' solution.
"This simply means drawing a line half way between the two coast lines. It's fair and simple and it's exactly what international law proscribes," said Mr Clarke.
For further information or comments, please contact: Tom Clarke on 0422 545 763 or Chip Henriss on 0408 039 711
Timor Sea Justice Campaign
The TSJC is comprised of concerned Australians of various ages, backgrounds and political persuasions who all want our Government to give East Timor a fair go. Specifically, we're calling for the establishment of permanent maritime boundaries in accordance with current international law.
Source: http://www.timorseajustice.com/timor-sea-justice-campaign-news/interfetanniversary.
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