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East Timor ACTION Network ALERTTell Australia to Stop Stealing East Timor's Resources & East Timor's Future!In recognition of January 26, Australia Day (a national holiday recalling the first permanent British settlement in Australia in 1788), let the Australian government know that it is no longer acceptable to seize territory or resources belonging to another nation. Write, phone or fax the Australian Embassy. You can fax directly from this website by clicking here. Prime Minister John Howard If you call, ask for Ambassador Michael Thawley. Talking Points for Phone Calls
For more information, see below or contact: ETAN at 718-596-7668 or 202-544-6911 A sample letter is below; you are encouraged to modify it. We are trying to keep a tally of letters sent, so please drop us an email or fax (718-222-4096) with a copy of the letter you send. Thank you for taking action. Together, we are making a difference! East Timor is an independent nation entitled to know the limits of its territory by land and sea, so that it can guarantee its security and control its resources. East Timor's government, dependent on foreign support after 24 years of Indonesian occupation and destruction, needs to be able to use its own resources. At present, East Timor is struggling not to go into debt to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), as it needs to cover a US$126 million financial gap between now and 2007. Yet between 1999 and today, the Australian government has stolen more than US$1 billion in oil and gas revenues that would belong to East Timor under a fair boundary settlement. East Timor is among the poorest of the world's countries, suffering from very low levels of basic services and high unemployment. If Australia continues to prevail with "interim" agreements negotiated under pressure, East Timor will continue to be the largest (albeit reluctant) contributor to Australia's government budget, running into tens of billions of dollars over the next four decades. In October 2002, East Timor enacted a Maritime Boundary Law, claiming a 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in all directions, based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). If this international principle were applied, many of the oil and gas fields Australia has exploited and intends to exploit would fall within East Timor's EEZ. Where their neighbors' claims overlap, countries need to negotiate a permanent maritime boundary, usually halfway between their coastlines. In March 2002, Australia gave formal notice that it was withdrawing from international legal mechanisms - the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea - to resolve boundary issues that cannot be settled by negotiation. East Timor’s leaders called this withdrawal a hostile act. The withdrawal prevents the new nation from bringing Australia to those forums to contest its refusal to engage in timely and cooperative boundary negotiations. The two countries held their first negotiating session last November, more than a year after East Timor requested it. They will not meet again until April, notwithstanding East Timor's request to meet monthly and resolve the issue in 3-5 years. Australia, one of the world’s wealthiest countries, claimed it could not afford to meet more frequently. Pressure from East Timor and its international friends can put an end to the Australian government’s arrogance. Australia must understand that East Timor is a sovereign nation, entitled to know the extent of its territory and to benefit from its natural resources. East Timor's independence will not be fully realized until its boundaries, both land and sea, are defined and accepted by its neighbors. East Timor's independence will not be fully realized until its boundaries, both land and sea, are defined and accepted by its neighbors. To view the letter 100 organizations from around the world sent to the Australian Prime Minister last November, see http://www.etan.org/news/2003a/11bound.htm or see Timor Sea, Boundaries, and Oil Sample Letter (please modify and adapt to your own words) Prime Minister John Howard DATE Dear Prime Minister Howard: I am extremely troubled by your government's disregard for East Timor's sovereignty and rights when it comes to establishing a permanent maritime boundary with your country. Your government’s bullying and delaying tactics are unacceptable. International legal principles established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) call for setting the boundary at the median line (halfway between the coastlines of two countries) in cases like this. Australia should respect international law, yet your government continues to exploit and profit handsomely from petroleum fields significantly closer to East Timor in contested waters. We urge you to set a firm timetable with the government of East Timor to establish a boundary within no more than three years. Throughout these negotiations, East Timor must be treated fairly as the sovereign nation it is. We urge your government to rejoin international legal mechanisms to resolve maritime boundary disputes that cannot be settled by negotiation, specifically the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The interests of both countries are best served through East Timor achieving complete political and economic independence. Your refusal to fairly and expeditiously settle maritime boundaries, along with the continued theft of East Timor’s oil and gas resources worth billions, only delay this goal and risk squandering the good will generated by Australia's support of East Timor since 1999. I look forward to your response. Sincerely, Add your name and contact info. |
