Sara Everingham – East Timor is facing a test of its stability after the leader of a rebel group was one of four people killed in a confrontation with the military and police in the area of Fatulia, Baucau over the weekend.

Mauk Moruk was a long-time opponent of the former prime minister Xanana Gusmao and was the leader of an armed group of disaffected veterans from East Timor's independence struggle, the Maubere Revolutionary Council.

The armed group was being pursued by Timor's security forces following attacks on police earlier this year.

East Timor's former president Jose Ramos-Horta said Mauk Moruk's death was sad and unfortunate, but said he did not think it would threaten East Timor's stability.

"No I don't think so, because people in the country are very familiar with Mauk Moruk... they knew his record, his behaviour, he burned bridges all these many months of violent activities," he said.

Mr Ramos-Horta said he did not expect reprisals from Mauk Moruk's supporters in Baucau. "No, he has extremely limited support in the area," he said. "I know exactly how much support [he has], how much he doesn't have."

East Timor's government issued a statement on Saturday night confirming that Mauk Moruk had been killed during a joint security operation involving the military and police. The statement said the confrontation that resulted in an exchange of gunfire had been unavoidable and urged people to remain calm.

East Timor's minister of state, Agio Pereira, told the ABC that the joint force of military and police had limited options during the confrontation with Mauk Moruk and his supporters.

"He was also armed and first to shoot and very regrettably he was killed as a consequence of this operation," Mr Pereira said. "The joint operation forces called him to surrender, to give up his gun but he refused, he start shooting, they had no choice."

Mr Pereira said the three other people killed in the incident were part of Mauk Moruk's security team.

Revolutionary struggle for independence

Mauk Moruk's Maubere Revolutionary Council is made up of disaffected veterans from East Timor's struggle for independence. Mauk Moruk was once a leader in the armed struggle for East Timor's independence, but in the 1980s he was part of a group that split from the main resistance force, Falantil, led by Mr Gusmao.

Associate professor Michael Leach from Swinburne University said Mauk Moruk's group, who are usually armed and dressed in old military uniforms, is a legacy of East Timor's 30-year-old split.

"They were a dissident group in the '90s, operating semi-independently, they had disagreements with the leadership of the military resistance at the time." Mr Leach said.

"That has continued after independence and this group and others don't recognise the authority of the Timorese state.

"These groups are really the legacy of East Timor's difficult 24-year struggle for independence and after independence they had, like other countries have had, military forces that they have to somehow re-insert into society and it's a difficult thing to do and these final remaining armed groups are the last legacies of that difficult struggle for independence."

About two years ago Mauk Moruk began challenging then-prime minister Mr Gusmao. He criticised Mr Gusmao's leadership style and tried to broaden his support by tapping in to concerns about unemployment and poverty.

Earlier this year there were reports Mauk Moruk's group had captured two police officers in the Laga subdistrict of Baucau. After the attacks on police, East Timor's government launched the joint police and military operation to arrest Mauk Moruk.

Several weeks ago, former president Ramos-Horta was asked by his successor, Taur Matan Ruak, to try to persuade Mauk Moruk to surrender.

Mr Ramos-Horta's family spent several years living in Laga where Mauk Moruk was born and he knew him well. He said he tried to mediate but Mauk Moruk was not willing to talk.

"Mauk Moruk had numerous chances to surrender to give up the few weapons he had, the government was extraordinarily patient for many months to the point where people were criticising the government for inaction," Mr Ramos-Horta said.

Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2015-08-10/east-timor-political-stability-in-focus-following-killing-of-rebel-leader-mauk-moruk/1479576

Former East Timor guerrilla leader Mauk Moruk killed in security

ABC Radio Australia - August 9, 2015

A former East Timor guerrilla leader and long-time political opponent to Xanana Gusmao has been killed in a security operation, the government says, raising concern about unrest in Asia's youngest nation.

Mauk Moruk, widely considered a symbol of resistance against the government of the gas-rich but impoverished nation, was killed in a joint police and military operation in the Fatulia area on Saturday.

"Every effort was made during the operation to avoid this outcome," a government spokesman said in a statement, calling for calm. "Regrettably the operation was unable to avoid a confrontation resulting in an exchange of gunfire."

The spokesman added that there were "two other fatalities and a number of injuries" but did not identify them.

After decades under harsh Indonesian rule, when rebels battled Indonesian forces from the hills, the former Portuguese colony has struggled to develop economically since independence in 2002.

Mr Moruk, born Paulino Gama, often confronted another old guerrilla leader, Xanana Gusmao, the country's first president who stepped down as prime minister earlier this year, challenging the government to do more about poverty and unemployment.

The government said in a statement in May that a joint operation targeting Mr Moruk's Maubere Revolutionary Council (KRM) began in March following attacks on police.

Among those was an attack on a police compound by a group equipped with firearms and explosives which left four security personnel injured. It described the KRM as illegal and said the joint operation was to "prevent and suppress criminal actions from illegal groups".

A significant number of the group's members had surrendered, the statement said. The government spokesman said the country's security commission was due to meet on Monday to discuss the situation. (AFP/Reuters)

Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2015-08-09/former-east-timor-guerrilla-leader-and-opposition-figure-mauk-moruk-killed-in-security-operation-gov/1479488

Catholic church & religion

Agreement signed between the Holy see and East Timor

Zenet - August 14, 2015

Rome – Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin was given a joyful welcome upon his arrival to East Timor. The Italian prelate's visit coincides with the 500th anniversary of the evangelization of East Timor.

The highlight of his visit was the signing of an agreement between the Holy See and East Timor. According to Fides, the signing took place in Taci Tolo, an area visited by St. John Paul II in 1989.

A statement released today by the Holy See Press Office reports the agreement was signed by Cardinal Parolin and Rui Maria de Araujo, Prime Minister of East Timor.

"The agreement, noting the good relations that have developed between the Holy See and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, and considering the historical and current role played by the Catholic Church in the life of the nation for the development of the human person, defines and guarantees the legal status of the Catholic Church and regulates various areas, including canonical marriage, places of worship, Catholic institutions of education and education, the teaching of religion in schools, the Church's charitable activities, pastoral care in the armed forces and in penal institutions and hospitals, and the patrimonial & fiscal system," the statement read.

In a message sent to Cardinal Parolin last week, Pope Francis noted the importance of the 5th centenary celebrations of the country's evangelization.

"The Catholic Church for 500 years has provided great spiritual, human and material support for the people of Timor, making a decisive contribution towards Timor-Leste's process of liberation," he wrote.

Source: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/agreement-signed-between-the-holy-see-and-east-timor?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zenit%2Fenglish+%28ZENIT+English%29

Agriculture & food security

New Zealand fund to boost Timor-Leste coffee, cocoa production

Xinhua News - August 26, 2015

Wellington – The New Zealand government is investing 14.5 million NZ dollars (9.43 million US dollars) to help develop Timor-Leste's coffee and cocoa industry, Foreign Minister Murray McCully said Wednesday.

"Coffee is Timor-Leste's largest export after oil and gas, but productivity issues mean the sector performs significantly below its potential," McCully said in a statement.

"Almost 20 percent of Timorese households rely solely on coffee for their income, but tree productivity is less than 20 percent of the global average."

New Zealand's investment over five years was aimed at lifting the overall productivity of the sector and returns to producers.

"The project is expected to create 4,680 new on-farm and seasonal jobs and double the income of 19,000 participating farmers by providing them with greater access to international markets and better prices through a farmers cooperative structure. "

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-08/26/c_134556888.htm

Border & security issues

Indonesia, Timor to resolve remaining territorial disputes by year-end

Jakarta Globe - August 26, 2015

Jakarta – The Indonesian government is aiming to resolve any remaining territorial disputes with Timor Leste by the end of this year, President Joko Widodo said after a bilateral meeting with his counterpart on Wednesday.

Since Timor Leste's independence from Indonesia in August 1999, both countries have settled a number of land ownership spats along the years. However, two settlements near the border continue to cause disagreement, namely Oepoli, a 1,211-hectare village in Kupang district; and Oben, a 142 hectare village in the northern part of Central Timor. Both are located near Timor Leste's Oecusse district.

"We discussed the dispute over both locations and we have agreed to resolve them by the end of this year," Joko told reporters after a meeting with Timor Leste Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo on Wednesday at the State Palace.

Joko added he would begin dealing with maritime territorial spats from the northern area and eventually to the southern area of the island which is split into Indonesia's Kupang province and Timor Leste.

Araujo said that he targeted to settle all territorial disputes on land and water with Indonesia during his five-year leadership. Joko also expressed his gratitude for Araujo's visit to Indonesia, the prime minister's first state visit since his election in February.

"This marks the importance of diplomatic relationship between Indonesia and Timor Leste," Joko says, adding that the two neighboring countries also discussed other issues, including infrastructure development, economy, trade and investment.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/indonesia-timor-leste-resolve-remaining-territorial-disputes-year-end/

Jokowi discusses borders with Timor Leste PM

Jakarta Post - August 26, 2015

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo met visiting Timor Leste Prime Minister Rui Maria De Araujo at the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday, discussing among other things land and sea borders between the two countries, tribunnews.com reported.

The two heads of state are also scheduled to discuss a number of bilateral agreements between the two countries. Jokowi has said that there were two points on the border that had not yet been agreed on and both countries had agreed to resolve the issue this year.

Regarding the sea border, the President said that talks addressed the situation both north and south of the island.

The President said he and his guest also talked about trade and investment. He said that Indonesia had committed to helping the country develop its infrastructure. "We will increase the volume of our trade," he added.

Earlier in the morning, Araujo, accompanied by his wife Teresa Antonio Madeira Soares, visited Heroes cemetery. Former Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao was among Araujo's entourage.

Araujo laid a wreath of flowers in the cemetery along with a note that read, "With heartfelt respect and admiration to all heroes and those who have fallen, from Prime Minister of Timor Leste, Rui Maria de Araujo."

East Timor became independent in 2002 following an independence referendum in 1999. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/08/26/jokowi-discusses-borders-with-timor-leste-pm.html

Indonesia, Timor-Leste to boost border trade cooperation

Antara News - August 5, 2015

Jakarta – Indonesia and Timor-Leste have agreed to increase cooperation, especially in the fields of border trade and investment.

"I expect a lot from this cooperation, taking into account the abundant available opportunities, especially in the border regions between Timor- Leste and Indonesia," Timor-Lestes Honorary Consul for Indonesia Irwansyah said during a meeting between the countries here on Wednesday, to discuss border cooperation.

As an example, he stated that nearly 80 percent of peoples daily needs in Timor-Leste, especially food commodities, came from Indonesia.

"There are many industries that can be developed later, such as cow breeding and fisheries. The government of Timor-Leste is ready to welcome not only big businesses but small and medium businesses, as well," Irwansyah affirmed.

He expressed hope that the cooperation would also improve the welfare of the people living in the border regions.

"There are numerous available opportunities that can be tapped into for development, especially trade-related ones, as Timor-Leste was established merely 13 years ago. So a lot can be done for its development," he remarked.

Citing an example, Irwansyah pointed out that Timor-Leste needed construction materials such as cement and steel. "There is great demand for steel. So far, they have imported the product mainly from China. This can be an opportunity for Indonesia," he added.

Irwansyah further noted that Timor-Leste also needed coffee, ketchup, instant noodles, cooking oil, and soap.

Moreover, he admitted that they hoped the establishment of the honorary consulate in Indonesia could be used to collect information, to improve relations not in the trade sector alone but in other fields, as well.

"I hope the presence of the honorary consul will help our businesses enter the country, and we will, in turn, help market their products," he remarked.

Source: http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/99816/indonesia-timor-leste-to-boost-border-trade-cooperation

Foreign affairs & trade

Indonesia, Timor Leste to manage rivers

Jakarta Post - August 28, 2015

Jakarta – Indonesia and Timor Leste have committed to cooperate on forestry, agriculture, maritime and fisheries issues.

Timor Leste Coordinating Economic cum Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Estanislau Aleixo da Silva met with Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar to talk about the two nations' future cooperation, especially in forestry.

Following the signing of the memorandum on coordination, the two ministries will work together in setting up a framework to develop the cross country watershed area. There are 10 watershed areas, amounting to 466,582 hectares, according to the ministry.

The 10 watershed areas are Daikain Oepotis, Tafara, Oebase, Besi, Babulu, Meto, Ekat, Talau, Mena and Kobalima.

"We should conserve the watershed areas together. We're going to identify the existing issues to work on the framework," Siti said on Monday at the ministry's office.

The ministry's watershed planning and evaluation director Djati Wicaksono Hadi added that 40 percent of the areas, especially around the headwaters, currently needed rehabilitation.

"Timor Island [where Timor Leste and Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara are located] has different geophysical characteristics. The land is sandy so water absorption is poor and drought is prevalent in the area," Djati told The Jakarta Post on.

The government said that it would seek mechanisms to solve the problem. "We can't change the landscape but we can manage it with terracing so we can preserve water until the following summer and implement SWAT [soil and water assessment tools] to reveal which plants suit the area and how to plant them," Djati said.

Ministry spokesperson Eka W. Soegiri said the joint cooperation was needed because the watershed's rivers flowed across the countries' borders. "A watershed area is like a person's body. It needs maintenance of both the headwaters and the downstream areas. If we only take care of one part, it will affect other parts," Eka said.

Eka added that the framework would not only touch on the rehabilitation but would also involve various sectors and improve livelihoods on the island. "The goal is to develop the island, be it in the Timor Leste part or Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara part. We'll develop fisheries, forestry, infrastructure, social aspects and much more because the people living in the watershed work in various sectors," he said.

Da Silva's trip to Indonesia was a return visit following Siti's visit to his country in June, when she handed over 50,000 tree seeds as a part of support for Timor Leste's forestry sector.

"We are here also in a way to repay the visit that Minister Siti made earlier. We had a very fruitful meeting, discussing how we could strengthen our cooperation and that's why we are here visiting the ministry, apart from visiting other places like CIFOR [the Center for International Forestry Research] and Bogor Botanical Gardens," he said.

Da Silva later went to CIFOR, the botanical Gardens and Taman Safari Zoo in Bogor, West Java, on Monday and Tuesday.

"The minister [Da Silva] is visiting Indonesia to see our research into forestry, agriculture, maritime and fisheries issues. Timor Leste has asked for help from us specifically for marine resource evaluation and planning and building a botanical garden and zoo," Siti added. (rbk)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/08/28/ri-timor-leste-manage-rivers.html

Singapore, Timor Leste reaffirm relations

Channel News Asia - August 14, 2015

Singapore – Singapore and Timor Leste reaffirmed warm relations on Friday (Aug 14), as Mentoring Minister Xanana Gusmao arrived in the Republic for a study visit.

Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam met Mr Gusmao on Friday. Mr Shanmugam expressed appreciation for Timor Leste's support following the death of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a news release.

The National Parliament of Timor Leste had paid tribute to Mr Lee. Former President Jose Ramos-Horta and President of the Council of Ministers Agio Pereira had also represented Timor Leste at the Lying-in-State.

Mr Shanmugam also reaffirmed Singapore's commitment to assist Timor Leste's capacity-building efforts through the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP). The two ministers also discussed recent developments in the region and Timor Leste.

Timor Leste's Minister of Social Solidarity Isabel Guterres and Vice Minister of Finance Helder Lopes were also present at the meeting, said MFA.

Mr Gusmao is leading a high-level Timor Leste delegation on a study visit to Singapore, which include taking a look at the public service policies and the Central Provident Fund. Mr Gusmao will depart Singapore on Saturday. (CNA/ms)

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-timor-leste/2050886.html

High-level Timor Leste delegation on study visit to Singapore

The Straits Times - August 14, 2015

Singapore – Mentoring Minister of Timor Leste Xanana Gusmao met with Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K Shanmugam on Friday afternoon.

Mr Gusmao, who is also Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment, is leading a high-level Timor Leste delegation on a study visit to Singapore.

Timor Leste's Minister of Social Solidarity Isabel Guterres and Vice Minister of Finance Helder Lopes were also present at the meeting with Mr Shanmugam.

During the meeting, Mr Gusmao and Mr Shanmugam reaffirmed the warm ties between the two countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement, which added: "Mr Shanmugam expressed Singapore's appreciation for Timor Leste's gestures of support on the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew."

The two ministers also discussed developments in the region and in Timor Leste.

The overseas delegation visit, which ends on Saturday, is organised by the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP). Areas covered in the study visit include Singapore's public service policies and the Central Provident Fund.

The SCP was established in 1992 to serve as the primary platform through which Singapore offers technical assistance to other countries.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/high-level-timor-leste-delegation-on-study-visit-to-singapore

PH backs Timor-Leste's inclusion in ASEAN

ABS-CBN News - August 6, 2015

Manila – The Philippines reiterated its support for the inclusion of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippines continue to support Timor-Leste's application to become the 11th member of the ASEAN, saying the island nation belongs to Southeast Asia and "should be granted its rightful place in the ASEAN community".

"We reiterate our support for Timor-Leste's membership in ASEAN, whose integration in ASEAN should be viewed from an overall strategic standpoint," del Rosario added.

The DFA said the Philippines and Timor-Leste have maintained a strong partnership since the establishment of bilateral relations in May 2002.

Del Rosario met with Timor-Leste foreign minister Hernani Coelho Da Silva at the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last August 4.

Del Rosario said he hopes Timor-Leste could continue participating in courses offered by the Foreign Service Institute of the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is aimed at the professional development of Timor- Leste diplomats.

Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/08/06/15/ph-backs-timor-lestes-inclusion-asean

Economy & investment

East Timor PM seeks to diversify economy with help of oil fund

Reuters - August 26, 2015

Jakarta – East Timor will tap into its $16.6 billion oil fund to build the necessary infrastructure to attract non-energy investment, the prime minister said on Wednesday, as disputes over undeveloped gas fields look to remain unresolved for years.

Rui Araujo told Reuters the government would not compromise on its demand that Woodside Petroleum build onshore processing facilities in the development of the Greater Sunrise gas fields, a project that could provide billions of dollars to the impoverished nation.

"The problem is that Woodside is trying to impose on us their choices on how to produce that," Araujo said during his first international trip as prime minister.

Woodside, which earlier this year expressed doubts that the project would go ahead this decade, wants to develop the fields through a floating LNG plant.

Even if an agreement can be reached with Woodside, the project could still be held up by a decades-long battle between East Timor and Australia over sharing revenue from the Greater Sunrise fields, which lie in waters between two countries.

Araujo said the government had decided to continue its legal battle against Australia in international court, a process he expects will take years.

The two sides had put the arbitration proceedings on hold for months in the hopes of resolving their differences directly. The dispute stems from East Timor's allegations that Australia used underhanded tactics, including bugging government offices in the capital Dili, during the treaty negotiations.

"We want justice. We want to follow international law and we are requesting what belongs to us," the prime minister said at a Jakarta hotel, shortly after meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo to discuss trade and maritime border issues.

Greater Sunrise is 33 percent owned by Woodside, the operator. Its co- owners are ConocoPhilips, Royal Dutch Shell and Japan's Osaka Gas.

With Greater Sunrise unlikely to get off the ground any time soon, Araujo said he is planning a "front-loaded" spending program to use the nation's petroleum fund to build the required roads, bridges and airports to attract investment in tourism, agriculture and mining.

"One of the important messages I want to convey is the development of Timor Leste is not completely dependent on oil and gas," said the 51-year-old doctor, who took the helm after independence hero Xanana Gusmao stepped down to allow for a younger generation to lead.

After decades under Indonesian rule, East Timor has struggled to develop economically since independence in 2002. Despite gas production worth billions of dollars, about half of its 1.2 million people lives in poverty, the World Bank says.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/business/east-timor-pm-seeks-diversify-economy-help-oil-fund/

Balibo five

Balibo widow angry over Indo spy chief

Australian Associated Press - August 17, 2015

The widow of Australian journalist Greg Shackleton says it's a disgrace that a retired general implicated in the murder of the Balibo Five has been appointed chief of Indonesia's intelligence agencies.

Almost 40 years since the killing of the five journalists in East Timor, Shirley Shackleton fears the appointment of retired lieutenant-general, Sutiyoso, has dashed hopes of her husband's remains ever being returned.

The 70-year-old Sutiyoso, who President Joko Widodo in June named as the new chief of the Indonesian Intelligence Agency (BIN), was an army captain in charge of a special forces unit in East Timor when the newsmen were killed on October 16, 1975.

Sutiyoso has denied being in Balibo at the time of the murders, despite claims he led a force known as "Team Susi" in the attack on the small border town.

As the chief of Indonesia's intelligence agencies, Sutiyoso will be central to arrangements between Australia and Indonesia in terms of sharing of intelligence and other issues of security.

It's unclear if he will be involved in talks with Australian officials in Jakarta this week, understood to include discussions on intelligence sharing, which will be attended by Justice Minister Michael Keenan.

"It's a disgrace," Mrs Shackleton said of Sutiyoso's appointment. "I find it rather strange that he was part of team Susi, but claims he wasn't there for the biggest attack of many that took place over more than a year near that border," she told AAP.

In 2007, a diplomatic row was caused when police approached Sutiyoso at his Sydney hotel in an attempt to have him appear at the Balibo inquest. Despite being In the middle leading a trade delegation, he returned to Jakarta the following day.

"He wouldn't even go into the witness box to swear he wasn't there. He wouldn't allow himself to be questioned in any way," Mrs Shackleton said. "I still want to bring my husband's remains home, and I don't know how we would ever get permission with that man there because he is implicated in some way."

The former governor of Jakarta has faced questions over human rights abuses in the past.

In June, when he was named BIN chief, students protested in Jakarta over long-standing allegations he ordered a raid on the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle headquarters in central Jakarta in July 1996. Five people were believed to have been killed in the incident, while dozens went missing.

Greg Shackleton was 29 when he was in East Timor, covering the Indonesian invasion. The group also included Australian sound recordist Tony Stewart, 21; cameraman Gary Cunningham, 27, from New Zealand; and two Britons – cameraman Brian Peters, 24, and reporter Malcolm Rennie, 29.

Last year, the Australian Federal Police dropped a war crimes investigation into the murders, citing insufficient evidence.

The 2007 New South Wales coronial inquest concluded the men were "shot and or stabbed deliberately, and not in the heat of battle" in order to cover up the Indonesian invasion.

Source: http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/08/17/13/40/balibo-widow-angry-over-indo-spy-chief

Invasion & occupation

Marie Leadbeater: Defence ties with Indonesia valued over Timor justice

NZ Herald - August 6, 2015

I have just visited Timor Leste, 16 years after my last visit. It was a study in contrasts.

I went to contribute to a conference at the National University of Timor- Lorosa'e, where one theme was the role of Western nations during the 1975 Indonesian invasion and 24 years of occupation.

In April 1999, the Indonesian military was still in control and, unbeknown to me, about to unleash a wave of unspeakable violence against the population. Three months earlier, Indonesian President Habibie had proclaimed that the Timorese people could choose whether or not to remain with Indonesia. Portugal and Indonesia were finalising terms and the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT) was preparing to campaign.

The Liquica massacre took place two days after my arrival. Some 60 civilians who had taken shelter in the Catholic church were killed by the ferocious "Red and White" militia. Instead of relaxed meetings with community figures, I found myself visiting severely wounded victims in the Motael Clinic in Dili.

I came home to campaign against the crazy notion that the Indonesian security forces could be trusted to ensure the security of the referendum process. Sadly, the Government believed the violence was caused by "competing factions" and only changed tack when the country was in flames following the cataclysmic post-referendum violence of September 1999.

On my return visit, I strolled along the beautiful Dili beachfront and saw not soldiers but courting couples, hawkers offering sweet oranges and women performing traditional dances. Timor Leste's distinctive red, yellow and black flag, which once adorned New Zealand campaign badges, was everywhere.

This image of serenity is not the whole story: the country was forced to rebuild after the departing Indonesian military ravaged the country and forcibly displaced much of its population. The container ship anchored offshore came in loaded with cheap imported goods, but many bemoaned the lack of export production, beyond crafts and coffee growing. Oil boosts the Government's coffers, but Australia refuses to negotiate a fair maritime boundary while continuing to exploit oil fields that ought to belong to Timor.

In Liquica, 26km from Dili, a memorial garden honours the heroes of the independence struggle. Further on, 'Balibo Five' graffiti is daubed on the road embankments. Five western journalists, including New Zealander Gary Cunningham, were killed in October 1975 as they tried to tell the world about Indonesia's covert incursions into then Portuguese territory. Two important buildings have been restored to commemorate the events and the journalists. The Balibo Flag House and Community Learning Centre is funded by an Australian trust. Behind protective glass it still bears the Australian flag one of the journalists etched on its wall in a futile effort at self-preservation.

It is ironic that the Balibo Five are honoured here, while in their homelands governments do little, notwithstanding a 2007 Sydney inquest which determined they were killed in cold blood by Indonesian Special Forces. Successive New Zealand governments have opted to leave the initiative up to Australia.

Statues and gardens commemorate resistance heroes in Dili. There is a well-appointed Resistance Archive and Museum, and a Xanana Gusmao reading room. The Chega exhibition occupies several rooms and cells in the old prison at Balide. Graffiti from former inmates has been preserved while multimedia displays summarise the story told in the five-volume report of Timor's impressive Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation. CAVR's careful forensic assessment concludes that there were up to 183,000 conflict-related deaths

Unfortunately, only minor players have faced sanctions while Indonesian officers charged before the UN backed tribunal a decade ago have gone on to new terror fields in West Papua, continue to travel the world freely and even stand for the highest political office. In 2002, then Foreign Minister Phil Goff said New Zealand should share some responsibility for its failure to condemn the 1975 invasion and the subsequent suffering of the Timorese people. At present, however, it seems defence ties and a good relationship with Indonesia come ahead of historic justice.

[Maire Leadbeater is the former spokesperson for the Auckland East Timor Independence Committee and author of Negligent Neighbour; New Zealand's complicity in the invasion and occupation of Timor-Leste, Craig Potton, 2006.]

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11492522&ref=rss

Analysis & opinion

East Timor referendum after 16 years: A new hope

Jakarta Post - August 31, 2015

Kristio Wahyono, Yogyakarta – Timor Leste on Aug. 30 celebrates the anniversary of a historic referendum that resulted in a landslide vote for separation from Indonesia 16 years ago.

The euphoria of independence was, however, short-lived following the announcement of the UN-administered ballot results on Sept. 4, 1999 as violence, which had marked the run-up to the plebiscite, escalated.

Thousands of East Timorese fled their homes or were displaced to the hinterlands and to West Timor. Between 1,400 and 2,000 people were killed or disappeared in a series of atrocities.

East Timor's independence could not be separated from rivalry between then Indonesian president BJ Habibie, who took over from long-time ruler Soeharto, and his inner circle, the military and civilian political elite. When then foreign minister Ali Alatas presented the grant of special status to the province of East Timor with wide-ranging autonomy in 1998, the Cabinet approved without much debate.

When Habibie told his Cabinet ministers early in 1999 that Indonesia should move straight to a choice between autonomy and independence for East Timor, there were no voices of open dissent, not even from the military members of the Cabinet.

Gen. Wiranto, the defense minister and Armed Forces commander, did not object to the proposed second options per se, according to Alatas writing in 2006. Why did Habibie's policy go unchallenged? Whatever the answer, the military and other opportunist political elites would possibly take advantage of Habibie's risky action.

"Some of Habibie's stronger Islamic ministers were happy 'to be rid of 600,000 Catholics', as one put it," Richard Woolcott, the Australian ambassador to Indonesia from 1975 to 1978, wrote in 2003.

He wrote that Wiranto would not oppose Habibie in the belief that the latter's policy would fail, as would his attempt to be elected the president. "This would keep Wiranto's own political ambitions alive," Woolcott concluded.

At the general session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in October 1999, President Habibie delivered an accountability speech, which was rejected because, in part, of the breaking away of East Timor from the Unitary State of Indonesia.

In addition, the UN Serious Crimes Unit in 2003 charged, among others, Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim (Jakarta), Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri (Denpasar) and Col. Tono Suratman (Dili) with crimes against humanity for their alleged roles in the violence surrounding East Timor's 1999 independence referendum.

While the local media blamed the supervising United Nations and Australia for pressuring Habibie for a resolution, criticism was mounted by a few Indonesian ministers, politicians, intellectuals and military officers of Habibie's decision, although they were originally silent on East Timor's independence option.

It remained a mystery why Wiranto did not overcome the widespread violence and unrest in East Timor. Perhaps he was aware all of these were orchestrated and designed by his rivals within the Army.

Shortly after Habibie was replaced by president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, pressure shifted to the new leader to suspend Wiranto from his Cabinet, pending an inquiry into human rights violence in East Timor.

Then UN secretary-general Kofi Annan repeatedly urged Indonesia to prosecute those found guilty of violence and warned that the United Nations would try to set up an international war crimes tribunal if Indonesia did not take the necessary steps.

It was hard for Gus Dur to oust the general, but international pressure was mounting too. This "zero-sum game" and its aftermath finally came to an end after those figures were no longer in power.

Today, a new chapter of hope has started. Gen. (ret) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, a powerful and new Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister under President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, has announced that the government's team is still discussing the solution mechanism, as well as determining the priority cases that it will aim to resolve by the end of Jokowi's five-year term.

The discussion involves seven gross human rights violations, including the atrocities in East Timor.

Both Timor Leste and Indonesia formed the Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF) 10 years ago, for which its mandate included establishing the truth about human rights violations that occurred prior to and immediately after the Aug. 30, 1999 popular consultation.

The report was endorsed by then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, making it the first recognition of the Indonesian government's complicity in human rights violations in East Timor. However, according to Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014 published by the US Department of State, recommendations from the commission regarding a national reparations program have not materialized yet.

[The writer, a guest lecturer in Yogyakarta, is former Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF) co-director and Indonesian representative to the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET).]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/08/31/east-timor-referendum-after-16-years-a-new-hope.html

Indonesia, Timor Leste have developed a mature relationship: PM

Jakarta Post - August 31, 2015

Margareth Aritonang – The relationship between Indonesia and Timor Leste has improved steadily in the last few years. Timor Leste's Prime Minister Rui Maria De Araujo, who spent nine years as a student at different universities in Indonesia, discussed the relationship during an interview with The Jakarta Post's Margareth Aritonang recently. Below is an excerpt of the interview:

Question: Can you explain the state of our bilateral ties and what can be further explored especially now that you, a representative of the younger generation, are leading the country?

Answer: I think the relationship between Timor Leste and Indonesia is excellent. As stated by President Joko Widodo, we are not only neighbors, not only friends but in fact we are brothers. Because we have a common history, despite our past differences and conflicts in the past. But we decided to put all of that behind us and focus instead on the future.

And since 2002 until now, 13 years on, the relationship has grown quickly and in a very excellent way. In terms of the economy, Indonesian state- owned companies are quite prevalent in Timor Leste. There are currently 24 state-owned companies working in Timor Leste. And up to 400 private Indonesian companies have been conducting business and small-scale investment there. There are 7,000 Indonesians living and doing business in Timor Leste. In the area of education, there are currently up to 5,000 young Timorese studying in many parts of Indonesia. The relationship is very good. It's a mature relationship.

Will it continue to be positive under your leadership especially as you have a close ties with this country?

Sure, the relationship is not only positive at the government-to-government and business-to-business levels. People-to-people interaction is also strong. A lot of Timorese of my generation and younger have history with Indonesia. History in the sense that either they have been in touch with Indonesians in the past living in Timor Leste, or they've been living in Indonesia for the purpose of studying or doing other things.

I spent nine years as a student in Indonesia from 1985 to 1994. I started at Satya Wacana University in Salatiga. I initially commenced with English literature. Then after a year I shifted to medical school because I had wanted to be a doctor since I was little. I could not gain access to the state university through the UMPTN [national state university entrance test]. So then I tried a private university, the University of Islam Sultan Agung in Semarang. I started medical school there. And then after several state examinations I managed to be transferred to Udayana University [in Bali] and I completed my medical degree there in 1994.

I told President [Joko Widodo] that I knew Java and Bali from my years of study in those places.

Are there any delicate matters that both countries have to resolve so that it will not hamper future relations?

At the moment one issue that I would not say is delicate, but hasn't been resolved yet, is the land border and maritime border issues.

It's not sensitive because both countries, particularly after the bilateral meeting that we had today, now have a common understanding that the border demarcation should be based on international law. And particularly regarding the issue of maritime borders, it should be based on the United Nations conventions on the law of the sea of 1992.

So we have an agreement in principle about the framework. We have regular meetings at both the senior official and ministerial level. Before the end of this year we will be having joint ministerial committee meetings to discuss what principles have been agreed so far on land border and maritime issues. Joint border committees will meet in September. These concrete steps came out of the discussion we had today.

How do you illustrate the significance of people-to-people relations?

We have an enclave where part of Timor Leste's territory is inside Indonesia's territory. The border of this enclave has not been fully agreed upon yet.

Despite border issues, relations between people in this area are going well. They share the same culture, ethnicity and ethno-linguistic background.

Of course we must come up with an agreement regarding the border, but we have to also try to develop that area for the mutual benefit of the two communities.

How far has defense cooperation developed?

We have several areas of cooperation. For example, Timor Leste's senior officers train at Lemhanas, and the two countries exchange military information.

We are exploring the possibility of conducting peacekeeping mission preparations here because Indonesia has the facilities to prepare peacekeepers before they are posted. And our armed forces have been invited to participate in UN peacekeeping operations.

We are also exploring the possibility of officer training. The latest plan under discussion is the possibility of having young Timorese undertake study at the military academy in Indonesia.

What is your plan to energize trade and investment and to attract more Indonesian investors to come to Timor Leste?

Our current focus is to diversify our economy. We will be focusing on three main areas: tourism, agriculture and the oil and gas sector.

If you look at a map of Timor Leste, the south coast will be an oil and gas industry hub. That is the long-term plan. Now we are building the basic infrastructure in order to support that.

We need to develop infrastructure in tourism and agriculture. Once we create [good] conditions, private investment will come in and start to develop the economy. So that's the kind of diversification we are talking about in Timor at the moment.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/08/31/discourse-indonesiatimor-leste-have-developed-a-mature-relationship-pm.html

Is East Timor now a rich country?

The Diplomat - August 22, 2015

Mong Palatino – Timor-Leste's Ministry of Finance issued a press statement claiming that the small Southeast Asian nation is already among the richest countries in the world.

It cited a report of the Global Finance magazine which ranked Timor-Leste's GDP per capita on a purchasing power parity basis as the 87th highest in the world. The global survey involved 184 countries. In Southeast Asia, Timor-Leste ranked fifth behind Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Global Finance also factored the relative cost of living and the inflation rates of countries. It used figures from the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook database for April 2013

But La'o Hamutuk, a non-government organization, made a simple fact- checking and discovered that the statistics used for Timor-Leste were already outdated. It made reference to the latest IMF World Economic Outlook published in April 2015 which gave Timor-Leste a rank of 122nd (not 87th) in the world in 2013. Furthermore, the country's ranking is expected to decline by six places in 2014.

"We all wish that Timor-Leste's people were less poor, but wishing doesn't make it so. We encourage policy-makers to base their decisions on evidence, and not to believe their own public relations. It will take smart thinking and hard work to bring Timor-Leste out of poverty," La'o Hamutuk wrote on its website.

The group added that using the GDP to measure the country's wealth is not consistently reliable. "The citizens of the Democratic Republic of Timor- Leste – especially impoverished rural residents whose lives are not reflected in these statistics – deserve better," it reminded the government.

For many years, La'o Hamutuk and even foreign analysts have been urging Timor-Leste to diversify its economy, which is mainly dependent on petroleum exports. For its part, the government acknowledged the need to invest in other sectors and has committed to embark on non-oil ventures by realigning its state budget priorities.

A more detailed review of Timor-Leste's economy is provided by Pacific Economic Monitor, a magazine of the Asian Development Bank. Its July 2015 issue analyzed the spending of the government, the country's oil revenues, and consumer spending.

It noted that government expenditure continues to be the biggest component of the country's non-petroleum economy. This year's government spending is reported to have increased by 33.4 percent. Total spending on public sector wages has risen but expenditures on goods and services and capital investment decreased. The report attributed the decline to the transition in government when a new Prime Minister was sworn into office last February.

The report revealed that the country's total revenues fell 46.4 percent in the first quarter of 2015. Petroleum revenues declined due to lower global oil prices. Oil production also slowed down. But business activities improved as indicated by rising electricity consumption of the commercial sector, expansion of private sector borrowing, and higher volume of international flights.

The report also highlighted the continuing vulnerability of Timor-Leste to the harsh impact of climate change. It mentioned a 2011 study which estimated that in terms of economic impact, Timor-Leste could lose $5.9 million annually in the next 50 years because of earthquakes and cyclones.

It is clear that Timor-Leste faces various economic challenges – diversifying its economy, raising the productivity of its petroleum sector, collecting more revenues, eradicating poverty, and enhancing climate readiness. The government has the right to make a claim that Timor-Leste is already included in the league of the global rich. But it should not forget that there are serious obstacles to overcome if it wants to remain a wealthy country.

Source: http://thediplomat.com/2015/08/is-east-timor-now-a-rich-country/

Failure to deal fairly with East Timor opening the door to China

Melbourne Age - August 2, 2015

Nick Xenophon – East Timor is one of the world's youngest and poorest countries located just off our north-west coast. Approximately 45 per cent of its children under five years of age are malnourished; every second day an East Timorese woman dies during child birth – one of the highest death rates in Asia.

You'd think Australia had a stake in seeing East Timor's 1.2 million people prosper and thrive, and come to regard us as a good friend and a natural ally.

This outcome could be achieved quite simply – by agreeing to a maritime border in the Timor Sea halfway between our two coastlines. Such a border would allow East Timor to enjoy its share of the $40 billion in oil and gas resources under the Timor Sea.

But since East Timor gained independence in 2002, successive Australian governments have refused to agree to a maritime border. When Timor tried to bring the matter before an independent umpire, then-foreign minister Alexander Downer unilaterally withdrew Australia's recognition of the maritime boundary jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea.

According to an Australian expert on East Timor, Dr Clinton Fernandes from the University of New South Wales, "Australia then spied on and bullied the East Timorese government into signing an unfair treaty". The treaty known as Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea (CMATS) prevents East Timor from negotiating its maritime borders with us for 50 years.

Subsequently, East Timor became aware of allegations of the spying and bugging of the East Timorese cabinet room through an ASIS whistleblower, Witness K (whose identity is suppressed by law). It applied to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague to have CMATS nullified.

ASIO then did something extraordinary. In December 2013, with the approval of the new Coalition government, ASIO raided the offices of East Timor's Australian-based barrister, Bernard Collaery, seizing thousands of confidential legal and other documents. It also raided the home of ASIS whistleblower Witness K. His passport was cancelled, and he now faces jail for shining a light on perhaps the biggest intelligence scandal in recent Australian history.

Since 1999, Australia has taken more than $4 billion in oil revenue that really should belong to East Timor. During this time, we have given them about $0.4 billion in aid and about $0.5 billion in military assistance. That means Australia has taken four times more from the East Timorese than we have given in aid.

As Dr Fernandes pointedly puts it: "East Timor is Australia's biggest foreign aid donor – this is not a typo."

Such conduct does little to assure the East Timorese that they can look to us as a good friend. In a time of accelerating international tension in the Pacific and the South China Sea, Australia can ill afford to drive the East Timorese into the arms of other, rising powers.

Just over a week ago, Labor slipped a resolution about the maritime border dispute with East Timor through its national conference. The resolution failed to state explicitly that Labor would agree on a border halfway between our two coastline. It did not mention the words "median line" or "lines of equidistance". Back in 2000 – the last time the issue of the sea border was being debated – Labor took a principled position: the border should lie halfway between the two countries.

Labor's move means the major parties have closed ranks. The East Timorese consider they're fighting for their rights as a sovereign country and a future free of poverty and hunger. At stake for Australia is not just the resources of the Timor Sea or our international reputation as a good global citizen but our strategic national interests.

In recent years, China has built East Timor's presidential palace, its foreign ministry buildings and its army barracks. It is proving itself to be a reliable friend of the Timorese just as our espionage and refusal to agree to a fair maritime border are driving the Timorese away from us.

Our foreign and defence policies are acting in a contradictory fashion. The defence interest is in a peaceful and stable East Timor that is not subject to third party influence. But in denying them their fair share of the oil and gas, and in refusing to negotiate a fair maritime border, our foreign policy is pushing in the opposite direction.

In time, the implications of these contradictory policies could end up costing Australia far more than our ill-gotten gains, to date, from the Timor Sea.

[Nick Xenophon is a federal senator.]

Source: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/failure-to-deal-fairly-with-east-timor-opening-the-door-to-china-20150802-gipnjp.html