Oceania Province Support Centre - Queensland

70 Kate Street (P.O. Box 923) Indooroopilly
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 4068
Ph: +61 7 3327 2200, Fax: +61 7 3327 2222
Email:  click here

 

 

 

SOCIAL JUSTICE BULLETIN
 
             “EDMUND JUSTICE”   Vol 2, March 2005

 

“STILL COOKING WITH GAS IN EAST TIMOR”

MARITIME BORDER DISPUTE STILL UNRESOLVED!

 

“It may be long before the law of love will be recognised in international affairs. The machineries of government stand between and hide the hearts of one people from those of another.”    (Mohandas Gandhi)

Profile of East Timor:

Area:15,007 sq km Population: 1,019,252 (2004 estimate. Note, other estimates range as low as 800,000)

Population below poverty line: 42% Unemployment rate: 50% (including underemployment)

People: Malay and Papua: 33% Tetum, 12% Mambai, 8% Kemak, 10% Makasai, 8% Galoli, 8% Tokodede.

Language: Portuguese and Tetum are the official languages. Indonesian, English and other local languages are also spoken.

Human Development Index Ranking: 158 (UNDP)

Religion: 91.4% Roman Catholic, 2.6% Protestant, 1.7% Muslim, 0.3% Hindu, 0.1% Buddhist.

Major Industries: Coffee, rice, maize, oil and natural gas, logging, fisheries, spices, coconuts, cacao.

Life expectancy: 57 years Literacy: 58.6% (age 15 and over can read and write)

 

 

         BACKGROUND

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1.      2003 - UN rates East Timor among the bottom 20% of the poorest countries in the world

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2.      80 % of population engaged in subsistence agriculture

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3.      annual budget- $120 million

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4.      value of oil & gas in Timor Sea -$30 billion

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5.      Dispute over sea-bed boundaries

 

DISP DISPUTE OVER OIL/GAS FIELDS

May, 2002 -Timor Sea Treaty (Interim Agreement) between Aust & Timor set up Joint Petroleum Development Area (JPDA) involving

1.      Bayu Undan oil/gas field ($US 6-7 billion) Profit -Timor 90%, Aust 10%

2.      Oil-fields outside JPDA Zone of Co-operation:

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Sunshine ($US 22-25 billion) Profit- Aust 72%, Timor 18%

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Corallina/ Laminaria  ($US2 bill) Aust 100% profit

 

CURRENT SITUATION (2005)

1.  “cash for no sovereignty” – Australia offers share of profits from disputed fields to Timor for no settlement of boundaries

2.  Timor rejects offer, insists UN decide maritime boundaries

3.  Currently East Timor gets $4.4 billion, if maritime boundaries established - could receive $12 billion.

THE 

Timor Sea Justice Campaign believes that East Timor should control all gas and oil fields it is entitled to under current international law, by the establishment of a permanent maritime boundary.

We call on the Australian Government to:

1.

Stop unilaterally exploiting contested gas and oil resources in the Timor Sea.

2.

Place disputed revenues taken by the Australian Government into a trust fund to be distributed accordingly when the dispute is resolved.

3.

Immediately negotiate a permanent maritime boundary with East Timor in accordance with current principles of International Law.

4.

Re-submit to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea to settle the dispute by independent arbitration if necessary.

Timor Gap

 

 

 

source: www.saveeasttimor.org

(This web-site is funded by the Christian Brothers from all Australian Provinces)

 

 

 

 

Reports/resources:

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Book: “The Timor Sea’s Oil & Gas: What’s Fair?” by Frank Brennan S.J.

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Book:  “Death of Innocents- an eyewitness account of wrongful executions by Sr Helen Prejean

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Report:  “A NEW DEAL FOR ABORIGINES & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDERS IN REMOTE COMMUNITES” by Helen Hughes

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Kit:  YOUNG WORKERS ADVISORY SERVICE - rights of young people (under 25) regarding employment. ywas@ywas.org

 

     Events:

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31 March - 3 April 2005 at the Bardon Centre, Peace, Justice and Reconciliation in the Asia-Pacific Region Conference

 

NEWS BLACK-OUT!!! 

SBS AND SEVEN PULL TIMOR SEA ADS!!

Press Release ­ Press Release ­ Press Release
25th March, 2005 ­ For immediate release

Channel 7 and SBS have announced that they will not be screening the latest television commercials about the Timor Sea dispute written and funded by Australian businessperson Ian Melrose.  The two advertisements were to be screened over the Easter Break to mark the anniversary of the Australian Government’s withdrawal of recognition of the maritime boundary jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.

The ads accuse the Australian Government of stealing $2 billion from East Timor and claim that “stealing from a third world country kills their children”..MORE INFO..http://www.timorseajustice.org/tvcs.htm

  

“… the superfluous wealth of rich countries should be placed at the service of poor nations...”

( Pope Paul vi , Populorum Progressio)

 

Past Volumes:

Vol 1, February 2005     3RD WORLD POVERTY – The Other Tsunami