AUSTRALIA URGED TO RENEGOTIATE TIMOR SEA WITH RI, E TIMOR

January 23, 2004 11:01pm Antara

Kupang, E Timor, Jan 23 (ANTARA) - Chairman of the Concern for West Timor Foundation (YPTB), Ferdi Tanoni has written to Australian Prime Minister John Howard asking Australia to renegotiate all accords related to Timor Sea through a tripartite meeting with Indonesia and East Timor.

"We sincerely hope that the Australian people, particularly the government of Prime Minister John Howard would feel uncouraged to hold the meeting as they will celebrate the Australian Day on Jan 26," Tanoni said on Friday.

The same letters are also sent to President Megawati Soekarnoputri and East Timor President Xanana Gusmao.

The call for such renegotiation is a logical consequence of East Timor's secession from the unitary Republic of Indonesia, he said.

Therefore, the government of Premier John Howard should immediately put the proposed tripartite meeting in the agenda of activities to deliniate the three countries' sovereignty borders.

Tanoni, who is also chairman of the working committee for Timor Gap and Pasir Island said the three countries' sovereignty borders must be deliniated by observing international principles.

He said all concerned parties must abide by the international principles including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS'82) particularly those related to Timor Sea.

UNCLOS '82 uses halfway between the coastlines of the three couintries and zones located 200 miles from the coastline as exclusive economic zone, he said.

"We will reject any attempt to solve the borders trough negotiations without complying with legal international principles," he said.

East Timor seceded from Indonesia following UN-adminitered ballot in August 1999 in which the vast majority of East Timorese opted for independence from Indonesia.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)

Back to January menu
December
World Leaders Contact List
Human Rights Violations in East Timor
Main Postings Menu