100 peacebuilders at the United Nations-mandated
University for Peace (UPEACE) wrote a letter to the
Prime Minister of Australia to urge the government of
the Commonwealth of Australia to settle the maritime
boundary dispute between Timor-Leste and Australia in
good faith, in a peaceful and judicious manner, in
compliance with international law and with an equitable
result. See
https://www.facebook.com/Hands-Off-Timors-Oil-UPEACE-campaign-474611022733547/
PDF of the letter
is here
The Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, MP
Prime Minister of
Australia
Government of the Commonwealth of
Australia
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
2 April 2016
Dear Prime Minister Turnbull,
Greetings
of Peace from graduate students of the United
Nations-mandated University for Peace (UPEACE) in Costa
Rica. We are peacebuilders from 36 countries with a
broad range of experience and we believe in peaceful
resolution of conflict.
We believe that the
dispute between Australia and Timor-Leste in respect of
the Timor Sea should be settled in good faith, in a
peaceful and judicious manner, in compliance with
international law and with an equitable result.
To this end, we urge you, as the head of the Government
of the Commonwealth of Australia to lead the Government
and the people of Australia in formulating and adopting
policies that respect the sovereignty and dignity of the
Timor-Leste nation, and the rights of Timor-Leste�s
people.
Specifically, the Government of
Australia should:
1. Resubmit to the mechanism
of resolving maritime boundary disputes provided by the
International Court of Justice and the International
Tribunal for the Law of the Sea;
2. Open
immediately negotiations with the Government of
Timor-Leste to agree to a permanent maritime boundary
based on the Median Line Principle;
3. Halt
appropriation of revenues unilaterally from the Timorese
side of the halfway line as it reduces opportunities for
good lives for women, children, and vulnerable people in
Timor-Leste.
Thank you very much.
Yours
sincerely,
Graduate Students at the University
for Peace (UPEACE)
(named in the Appendix)
see full list of signers
here:
see also
