Press Statement from
Timor Sea Office, Office of the Prime Minister, Timor-Leste Government
November 13 2003
Maritime Boundary Talks between Timor-Leste and Australia
The governments of East Timor (Timor-Leste) and Australia yesterday
held preliminary talks in Darwin on establishing permanent maritime
boundaries in the Timor Sea.
The Government of Timor-Leste hopes and expects that the Australian
Government will approach upcoming maritime boundary talks in a manner
consistent with Prime Minister John Howard’s pledge to negotiate “in good
faith”. This is Australia’s legal obligation. Given that Australia has so
far refused to exercise the restraint required at international law
pending delimitation, Timor-Leste has urged Australia to commit to a
rigorous schedule of talks in order to resolve the boundary quickly.
Timor-Leste inherited no maritime boundaries from Portugal, Indonesia
or UNTAET. The Timor Sea Treaty and related agreements between Timor-Leste
and Australia are interim measures that will terminate upon the
delimitation of permanent maritime boundaries. Timor-Leste Prime Minister
Dr. Mari Alkatiri said the start of talks marks an important first step
towards resolving Australia and Timor-Leste’s competing claims and
recognizing Timor-Leste’s right to determine its maritime boundaries.
Timor-Leste’s claim in the Timor Sea is based squarely on its
entitlement at international law. It extends to all of the Timor Sea
Treaty area (which includes the Bayu-Undan field), the Greater Sunrise
field, and the Laminaria, Corallina and Buffalo fields. All of these
fields are closer to Timor-Leste than to Australia.
Australia has an international legal obligation to exercise restraint
in regard to the exploitation of resources in disputed maritime areas.
Despite this, Australia is unilaterally exploiting the Laminaria,
Corallina and Buffalo fields. Timor-Leste has not received one penny of
the approximately U.S.$2 billion that Australia is estimated to collect
from these fields. Further, on April 22 of this year, Australia awarded a
new permit in an area adjacent to the Sunrise field (Permit NT/P65). This
was only weeks after the Sunrise unitisation agreement was signed, and
months after Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri had written to the Australian
Prime Minister asking that Australia exercise restraint in relation to
areas of overlapping claims in accordance with its obligations under
international law.
Resolution of the maritime boundary dispute is all the more pressing,
as Timor-Leste is one of the poorest nations in the world and requires
substantial resources for national reconstruction and development. Timor-Leste
would prefer to have access to its own resources to accomplish this,
rather than depend on foreign aid.
CONTACT: Paul Cleary +670 723 4151; Alisa Newman Hood +670 723 4152;
Manuel de Lemos +670 723 4154
