Sam King – A large and angry demonstration was held outside the Australian Embassy in Dili on 23 February, against the Australian government's refusal negotiate a permanent international border with East Timor.

The protest – organised by the coalition Movement Against the Occupation of the Timor Sea (MKOTT) – included dozens of organised contingents of students, young people, civil society groups as well as veterans of the national liberation struggle. "Timor Leste, Viva! Australia, Abaixo!" ("Long Live East Timor! Down with Australia!") – was one popular chant.

The Embassy had been subject to a smaller protest in 2013 and a graffiti protest in 2014 after it was revealed that the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) spied on the Timorese government during negotiations over a temporary resource sharing arrangement. However, this latest protest indicates a dramatic escalation.

Tama Laka Aquita, vice president of the Socialist Party of Timor (PST), told Red Flag that another protest will take place on 22-23 March. This will coincide with protests in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and New York in the same week. PST president Avelino Coelho has already been on television talking up the issue.

All Timorese political parties agree that resolving the border dispute is a national priority. That has been reflected in a string of recent media statements made by senior politicians calling Australian spying "a criminal act", to quote Xanana Gusmao the historic leader of the Timorese resistance, and calling for an immediate re-start to negotiations to finalise the border.

The Timorese parliament has appointed a Council for Final Delimitation of Maritime Boundaries, which includes all former presidents, prime ministers and speakers of the parliament. Gusmao has been elected chief negotiator.

Australia's present violation of Timorese sovereignty denies Timor the resources it badly needs for even basic national development. Many Timorese still lack access to electricity or safe water. Young people with university education are often lured to foreign NGO's or AID organisations that can pay higher wages than teachers receive at the National University of Timor Leste.

There are large gas reserves beneath the Timor Sea – particularly the enormous, undeveloped Greater Sunrise Gas field, which is almost entirely on the Timorese side of the halfway line. Yet, in net terms, East Timor is actually the largest foreign aid contributor to Australia – if we count revenues taken by the Australian Treasury from gas already extracted from smaller, already developed fields on Timor's side of the halfway line.

Australia's aggression, for a time, seemed to be successful. Just prior to Timor gaining independence in 2002, foreign minister Alexander Downer reportedly told the UN transitional administrator of East Timor, Sergio Vieira de Mello, that "Australia could bring meltdown to East Timor if it so chose" – i.e. by withdrawing foreign aid while the country was still awaiting gas revenues to come online. In March 2002, Downer announced Australia's withdraw from the maritime boundary jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.

The following month, Canberra was able to obtain a signature from then Timorese prime minister Mari Alkatiri, for the highly unfair, temporary, Timor Sea Treaty. The TST encountered immediate opposition and was never ratified by the Timorese parliament.

However, in 2006 then foreign minister Ramos Horta signed another highly unfair agreement with Australia. The new agreement – CMATS – gave a partial concession to Timor by conceding 50 percent, up from 18 percent, of the revenues from Greater Sunrise. However, it completely excluded Timor's government and oil company from participation in the development and required Timor to postpone all negotiations for a permanent settlement of the boundary for 50 years.

Now even Horta is on record calling for Australia to re-start negotiations for a permanent settlement, as is Alkatiri. The new atmosphere of protest – which extends from the streets to the parliament – if it can be sustained and supported by a lively campaign in Australia, might prove correct what former Australian ambassador to Indonesia Richard Woolcott cabled to Canberra in 1975.

Woolcott, argued for Australia to support the Indonesian invasion of the country in 1975 – which led to a quarter-century occupation and the death of 200,000 people. He thought that "closing the present gap in the agreed sea border" (i.e. finalising a border closer to Timor than Australia) "could be much more readily negotiated with Indonesia... than with Portugal or independent Portuguese Timor".

Indeed, the original Timor Gap Treaty that the Australian Labor government famously signed with the Indonesian Military dictatorship in 1989 was far worse than the present CMATS. But even CMATS is no longer accepted by independent East Timor. Unfortunately for Malcolm Turnbull and his ilk, there is no longer a military dictatorship in Timor than can put down protests against the Australian Embassy.

It seems safe to assume that the Embassy staff, DFAT and the Turnbull government must be monitoring the growing movement with increasing alarm. Working people in Australia should greet it not only with joy but active support. The most meaningful solidarity we can give is by building our own movement to support East Timor's democratic and sovereign right to complete its national self-determination. Viva Timor Leste!

Source: https://redflag.org.au/article/big-protest-confronts-australian-embassy-dili

Australia must end its occupation of Timor Sea: Observer

Antara News - February 25, 2016

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara – Ferdi Tanoni, an observer of the Timor Sea issue, expressed support to the people of Timor Leste for demanding the establishment of maritime boundaries and for urging Australia to end its occupation of Timor Sea.

"The struggle of the people of Timor Leste is similar to that of the West Timor people living in East Nusa Tenggara as 90 percent of the natural resources in Timor Sea, such as oil and gas, are fully under the control of Australia," he informed the press here on Thursday.

In response to this, Tanoni believes that the delimitation of territorial waters using international principles or a median line in Timor Sea was the right choice to ensure that the natural resources in the Timor Gap would benefit the people of both countries.

The author of a book "Skandal Laut Timor, Sebuah Barter Politik Ekonomi Canberra-Jakarta" (Timor Sea Scandal, a Political Economy Barter between Canberra and Jakarta) also urged Canberra to restore the rights of the West Timor people over the Pasir Island cluster, which has been claimed by Australia as part of its natural reservation area.

The Pasir Island cluster, which has abundant oil deposits and marine biota, was considered as a resting place for Indonesian traditional fishermen since centuries, long before Captain Samuel Ashmore from England landed on the cluster of islands in 1811.

Tanoni also urged President Joko Widodo to annul the entire agreement of maritime boundaries between Indonesia and Australia regarding the Timor Sea and Arafuru Sea, which had been reached since 1974-1977 as well as the cooperation agreements between the two countries, which were highly detrimental to the people of Indonesia in West Timor.

"Jakarta and Dili should continue to urge Canberra to permanently set the boundaries in Timor Sea as West Timor has been managed as an independent state, which would influence the maritime boundaries that should be trilaterally negotiated," he affirmed.

Earlier, a group of some five thousand people under the name of the Timor Sea Anti-Occupation Movement staged a demonstration in front of the Australian Embassy in Dili, the capital of Timor Leste, last Tuesday.

The demonstrators urged for a settlement of the sea dispute, referring to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the center line (median line) as set out in the international law.

The demonstrators claimed that Australia had not respected Timor Lestes sovereignty since it did not demonstrate good will to resolve the boundary dispute between the two countries in Timor Sea.

"Australia must immediately work towards solving the dispute of Timor Gap with the government of Timor Leste. Do not just use its political and economic powers to steal the resources in Timor Sea," the movements spokesman, Juvinal Dias, stated in his oration.

According to Dias, Australia has been exploiting the resources in Timor Sea for over four decades. Since 1999 or soon after the polls in East Timor, Australia has managed to earn profit of some US$5 billion from the Timor Gap, aiming to delay the process of reaching a trilateral negotiation with Timor Leste and Indonesia.(*)

Source: http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/103352/australia-must-end-its-occupation-of-timor-sea-observer

Timor-Leste protesters urge Australia to settle boundary dispute

UCA News - February 24, 2016

Thomas Ora, Dili, Timor Leste – About 3,000 people marched to the Australian embassy in the Timor-Leste capital of Dili on Feb. 23, demanding that the Australian government settle a maritime dispute.

The demonstrators walked 500 meters from the Australian-owned Tiger refueling station to the embassy carrying banners that read "We want justice, we want it now."

They said Australia has been exploiting oil and gas reserves in the Timor Gap the maritime boundry separating the two countries – for 40 years, using a treaty it signed with Indonesia in 1972 as an impetus to support Indonesia's invasion of East Timor in 1975.

Juvinal Diaz, the coordinator of the Movement Against the Occupation of the Timor Sea, told protesters that the value of aid received from Australia since 1999, about US$1.7 billion, is less than the US$5 billion Australia earned in the last 10 years from oil and gas in the Timor Gap.

"The truth is that it is the right of Timor-Leste people. Through this mass demonstration we demand the Australian government to immediately dialog with Timor-Leste," said Diaz, a researcher at Lao Hamutuk, an independent monitoring group on the country's economy and development.

The movement published a declaration demanding that Australia resolve its maritime boundary dispute with Timor-Leste through the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

Diaz said the treaty signed with Indonesia is invalid under international law. "When Timor-Leste gained independence through a referendum on Aug. 30, 1999, Australia still controlled the country's marine resources," he said.

Timor-Leste foreign minister Hernani Coelho revealed that Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo earlier had sent a letter to negotiate maritime boundaries, but the Australian government has not responded.

"Australia has not responded, unlike Indonesia, which has been very cooperative in settling maritime boundary [issues] with Timor-Leste. With Indonesia, it is nearing completion," Coelho told reporters.

Marito Reis a former political prisoner and cabinet member, also voiced his concerns, saying "For 24 years Timor-Leste fought against the Indonesian military to have full independence and entitlement of land and marine resources. Unfortunately, it is still gripped by Australia."

Gregorio Saldanha, a social activist, said Australia was partly responsible for Timor Leste's poverty. He noted that 40,000 Timorese died fighting for Australia against Japanese troops during World War II.

"Timorese people have been impoverished since the era of Japanese, Portuguese and Indonesia colonization. At this time most people are still poor, and dependent on natural resources such as oil and gas," he said.

Source: http://www.ucanews.com/news/timor-leste-protesters-urge-australia-to-settle-boundary-dispute/75303

Hundreds protest outside Australian embassy in Dili: Organiser

Agence France Presse - February 23, 2016

Protesters rallied Tuesday outside the Australian embassy in the East Timor capital Dili, demanding Canberra come to the table "in good faith" to end a long-running dispute over major oil and gasfields in the Timor Sea.

Hundreds of protesters, including students, activists and former resistance fighters, gathered peacefully outside the diplomatic mission to urge Australia to "respect East Timor sovereignty", rally organiser Juvinal Dias told AFP. "We are asking Australia to negotiate the maritime boundary based on good faith," Dias said.

Ties between the neighbours have soured since East Timor took Australia to the International Court of Justice to settle a dispute over the maritime boundaries governing lucrative undersea oil and gas reserves.

The tiny, half-island nation, which has a sluggish economy heavily dependent on oil and gas, wants a treaty which was signed in 2006 and set the maritime borders to be torn up. It claims Australia spied on ministers to gain commercial advantage.

The protesters want permanent maritime boundaries drawn up along the "median line" between Australia and East Timor, Dias said. He urged Australia to abandon its "invalid" claim in the Timor Sea and promised further rallies if it refused to negotiate.

The 2006 treaty was signed between Canberra and Dili, four years after East Timor won independence following years of brutal Indonesian occupation. np/sm

Source: https://us-mg4.mail.yahoo.com/neo/b/compose?&.rand=1119876009

Protesters in Dili want Australia to settle oil dispute with East Timor

Melbourne Age - February 23, 2016

Daniel Flitton – Protesters have gathered outside Australia's embassy in Dili to demand an end to the bitter dispute with East Timor over undersea oil and gas fields.

"We want Australia to come to the table in good faith," said Juvinal Dias, an organiser for the rally.

No senior Australian politician has visited East Timor since 2013 in a sign of frosty relations between the neighbours after East Timor took Australian to the international court, alleging Australian spies bugged the cabinet room in Dili to eavesdrop on deliberations over a maritime treaty.

East Timor's Prime Minister Rui Araujo has appealed directly to Malcolm Turnbull for fresh negotiations on a sea boundary, with protesters demanding Australia accept a "median line" between the two nations.

Mr Dias believed the protesters to number more than 1000, made up of former veterans from East Timor's long independence struggle, activists and university students.

Australia's embassy in Dili was also the target of a graffiti protest in 2014 in a sign of tension over the maritime dispute – a marked shift from the sentiment in 1999 when many Timorese scaled the Australian embassy walls in a bid to escape rampaging militia backed by Indonesia.

Source: http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/protesters-in-dili-want-australia-to-settle-oil-dispute-with-east-timor-20160223-gn1dri.html

East Timor may drop spying case against Australia if new maritime border struck

WA Today - February 15, 2016

Daniel Flitton – East Timor has hinted its international spying case against Australia could be abandoned should the two countries negotiate a new treaty to divide rich undersea oil and gas fields.

East Timor's leader Rui Araujo has also written directly to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in recent weeks to appeal for fresh negotiations in what has become an impasse over drawing a maritime boundary.

The dispute has soured relations between the neighbours after East Timor hauled Australia before the international court in 2013, alleging espionage to gain a commercial advantage during a Howard-era deal to divide resources in the Timor Sea.

Shadow foreign affairs spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek last week pledged to negotiate a maritime boundary with East Timor should Labor win government in a rare break with the Coalition on foreign policy.

East Timor's ambassador Abel Guterres told a conference in Melbourne on Monday the espionage case against Australia remains subject to arbitration in international court at The Hague and it was a matter of when the case would start.

"But if we decide to sit at the table and negotiate, perhaps we don't need to go through all this process – unnecessarily exposing sensitive materials. But that is a sensible approach, a common sense, sensible approach," Mr Guterres said.

East Timor has not committed to dropping the espionage case, but asked if this could be a consequence of negotiations on a maritime boundary, Mr Guterres told Fairfax Media: "You only go there if you have no choice."

Source: http://www.watoday.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/east-timor-may-drop-spying-case-against-australia-if-new-maritime-border-struck-20160215-gmulvf.html

East Timor to Malcolm Turnbull: Let's start talks on maritime boundary

Sydney Morning Herald - February 15, 2016

Tom Allard – East Timor's Prime Minister has written to his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull asking him to open talks on a permanent maritime boundary between the two countries.

News of the official communique from Dr Rui Maria de Araujo comes in the wake of the opposition's announcement that, if elected, it will enter good faith talks with East Timor over a new border and submit to an independent determination under international law if the talks fail. It also follows the start of negotiations between Indonesia and East Timor over their sea boundaries.

At stake are multibillion-dollar oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea that East Timor's government believes would be located overwhelmingly in its territory if the boundaries were set according to international law.

Two months before East TImor became an independent nation in 2002, Australia withdrew from the dispute-settling jurisdiction under the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Since then, it has also refused to negotiate a bilateral agreement on a permanent boundary with East Timor. Instead, the two countries have signed two treaties – in 2002 and 2007 – sharing oil and gas revenues.

East Timor's ambassador to Australia Abel Guterres, who announced the correspondence from Dr Araujo on Monday at a symposium at Monash University, said his country signed the treaties under duress.

The first treaty was signed when East Timor, freshly liberated from Indonesian rule, was still under UN administration and ravaged by war. Australia, Mr Guterres said, "left East Timor with no option but to agree to it".

"The pressure from Australia was such that Foreign Minister Alexander Downer felt appropriate to remind the then Special Representative of the United Nations and Transitional Administrator of East Timor, the late Sergio Vieira de Mello, that 'Australia could bring meltdown to East Timor if it so chose'," he said.

"As you can draw from this mood, it was a situation where the United Nations and the Timorese leaders could not sustain their position under Australian pressure. Lawyers might call this out as unconscionable conduct."

A second treaty negotiated between 2004 and 2007 was unfair because Australia eavesdropped on the Timorese negotiating team after a team of Australian Secret Intelligence Service officers posing as aid workers inserted listening devices into the government offices in Dili.

The latter treaty gave East Timor 50 per cent of revenue from the undeveloped but massive Greater Sunrise oil and gas deposit.

Mr Turnbull used his first major foreign policy address in Washington to laud a "rules-based" global order, urge the United States and other nations to ratify UNCLOS and state "differences should be resolved by international law".

But Mr Guterres said Australia's credibility was undermined by a contradictory position when it came to East TImor. "[Australia] does not conform to the behaviour of a country that wants to also exert its international rules based leadership in our region and beyond," he said, noting Australia was seeking a seat on the UN Human Rights Commission.

Indonesia, unlike Australia, has not withdrawn from the jurisdiction of UNCLOS. A spokesman for Mr Turnbull declined to comment other than to confirm the letter from Dr Araujo had been received and a response would be forthcoming.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/east-timor-to-malcolm-turnbull-lets-start-talks-on-maritime-boundary-20160215-gmugd1.html

DFAT defends spy's passport rejection

Australian Associated Press - February 11, 2016

The foreign affairs department insists a decision to deny a passport to a former-spy-turned-whistleblower is not aimed at stopping him from giving evidence in arbitration proceedings in a dispute between Australia and East Timor.

The former Australian Secret Intelligence Service agent is a key witness for East Timor in a case against Australia over allegations Dili's cabinet rooms were bugged during negotiations over a gas and oil treaty in 2004.

Witness K was supposed to give evidence at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague but has been unable to leave Australia because his passport was seized in 2012. Arbitration proceedings are on hold but may start again soon.

Foreign affairs department secretary Peter Varghese told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday the government is prepared to make arrangements to enable Witness K to give evidence in a way that upholds the integrity of the proceedings and ensures national security concerns are met.

The hearing was told ASIO had no objections based on national security concerning Witness K. But Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has rejected the request using a section of the Passport Act. This was because ASIS had reasonable beliefs the applicant may engage in conduct that may prejudice Australia's security.

Independent senator Nick Xenophon asked whether ASIS had a conflict of interest but Mr Varghese said it was inappropriate to comment because the passport issue would soon come before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Source: http://www.9news.com.au/national/2016/02/11/16/47/dfat-defends-spy-s-passport-rejection

DFAT not told of Labor's East Timor plan

Australian Associated Press - February 11, 2016

The foreign affairs department was not consulted before Labor announced a new policy to reopen good faith maritime boundary talks with East Timor.

Labor did not consult the foreign affairs department before it pledged to reopen good-faith talks with East Timor on maritime boundaries with Australia.

It did not seek any advice about the legal and financial implications of the move, a Senate committee was told on Thursday.

Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/02/11/dfat-not-told-labors-east-timor-plan

Labor offers new maritime boundary deal for East Timor

Sydney Morning Herald - February 10, 2016

Tom Allard – Labor has pledged to submit to international adjudication over the disputed maritime boundary between Australia and East TImor if "good faith" negotiations fail to produce agreement.

The proposed deal on a new sea border, announced by opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek at the National Press Club on Wednesday, could potentially give the fledgling country a far greater share of the rich deposits of oil and gas in the Timor Sea, estimated to be worth $40 billion or more.

Ms Plibersek lamented that Australia's pivotal role in securing East Timor's independence – "a proud moment" – was being tarnished by its refusal to negotiate a new, permanent maritime boundary with East Timor.

"The maritime boundary dispute has poisoned relations with our newest neighbour. This must change for their sake and ours," Ms Plibersek said.

In a landmark address in Washington last month, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull highlighted the importance of United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and urged China and other countries to resolve their potentially explosive disputes in the South China Sea under international law.

But Ms Plibersek noted that Australia has not always abided by the "rules-based" system Mr Turnbull has championed, citing East Timor as a glaring example.

After securing a highly favourable temporary boundary with a war ravaged East Timor in 2002, Australia withdrew from the UNCLOS dispute resolution mechanism. It means that East Timor cannot take its dispute with Australia to an international umpire.

Labor is considering reversing Australia's UNCLOS stance entirely. Either way, in the case of East Timor, it is prepared to submit to binding arbitration in the Hague if the "good faith" talks between the two states fails to find agreement.

East Timor sees the new boundary as the last unresolved piece of its hard-won sovereignty after decades of brutal occupation by Indonesia. It believes a new boundary midway between the two countries will secure it a more lucrative share of the Timor Sea resources.

East Timor remains furious that Australian spies bugged its government offices during negotiations for a later treaty governing the share of oil and gas reserves. The espionage was condemned by the International Court of Justice. But any agreement on the boundary would likely need Indonesia's approval as well.

"Australia regularly calls on other countries to abide by international norms and to settle disputes in line with the rules-based system," Ms Plibersek said. "If we want to insist that other nations play by the rules, we also need to adhere to them."

The Timor Sea Justice Campaign welcomed Ms Plibersek's speech. "For too long Australia has been ripping off East Timor through dodgy oil and gas treaties, so Ms Plibersek is absolutely right when she says it's time to draw the line and establish fair and permanent maritime boundaries once and for all," said spokesman Tom Clarke.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/labor-offers-new-maritime-boundary-deal-for-east-timor-20160210-gmq7iu.html

Labor wants to repair ties with East Timor and renegotiate maritime border in wake of

ABC Radio Australia - February 10, 2016

Brigid Andersen – Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek says Labor wants to repair Australia's relationship with East Timor by renegotiating the maritime border between the two countries.

Ms Plibersek said the relationship between the two countries had deteriorated over the years. She told Lateline a Labor government would reopen talks on the maritime border and if they failed, they would submit to international arbitration.

"For many years now our relationship with East Timor has been affected by our failure to determine a sea boundary between our two nations," she said.

"We were great supporters of East Timorese independence and at that time there was a very close relationship between us and our new neighbour and that relationship has deteriorated to some extent because we can't resolve this outstanding issue."

The location of the maritime border in relation to a multi-billion-dollar oil and gas field in the Timor Sea is central to a spying scandal that has rocked relations between East Timor and Australia.

Australia has been accused of bugging East Timor's cabinet office during negotiations for a treaty that would divide the revenues from the $40 billion Greater Sunrise field.

Ms Plibersek refused to comment on the bugging scandal but she told Lateline it was in Australia's national interest to resolve the border issue. "For decades we haven't had a proper border with one of our nearest neighbours," she said.

"The ongoing uncertainty about where the border lies between the two nations is not in our national interest and it's also not good for us internationally, not good for our reputation."

East Timor has taken the spying case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague. The country's former president, Xanana Gusmao, told Lateline he considered the bugging operation a criminal act.

"Australia would not allow it. Under the Security Act it will be a criminal act? No? For us we believe it should be considered like this," he said.

East Timor is seeking to have the treaty over the Greater Sunrise field set aside in the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Ms Plibersek said a final resolution on the maritime border would mean there would no longer be a need for such a treaty.

A history of treaties in the Timor Sea

In 1989 Australia and Indonesia signed the Timor Gap Treaty when East Timor was still under Indonesian occupation.

East Timor was left with no permanent maritime border and Indonesia and Australia got to share the wealth in what was known as the Timor Gap.

In 2002 East Timor gained independence and the Timor Sea Treaty was signed, but no permanent maritime border was negotiated.

East Timor has long argued the border should sit halfway between it and Australia, placing most of the Greater Sunrise oil and gas field in their territory.

In 2004 East Timor started negotiating with Australia again about the border.

In 2006 the CMATS treaty was signed, but no permanent border was set, and instead it ruled that revenue from the Greater Sunrise oil and gas field would be split evenly between the two countries.

Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2016-02-10/labor-wants-to-repair-ties-with-east-timor-and-renegotiate-maritime-border-in-wake-of-bugging-scanda/1546254

East Timor spying case cost $1 million

Australian Associated Press - February 9, 2016

Karlis Salna – Australia spent $1 million fighting litigation brought by East Timor over an ASIO raid linked to a dispute over $40 billion of oil and gas reserves.

The December 2013 raid on the offices of the Australian lawyer acting for East Timor, Bernard Collaery, in which documents and electronic data were seized, was authorised by Attorney-General George Brandis.

A response to questions put to the Attorney-General's Department in a Senate hearing last year, released on Tuesday, reveals the total cost of the litigation to Australian taxpayers was $1,007,680.

The bill included air fares for three lawyers and eight public servants at a cost of $87,000, as well as $16,500 in meals and incidentals. The solicitor-general flew first class to The Hague, while the rest of the party flew business class.

The International Court of Justice, in a decision announced in March 2014, ordered Australia to cease spying on East Timor, and to seal any documents and data seized in the ASIO raid.

It had been alleged that Australia eavesdropped on East Timor during negotiations on a treaty related to gas reserves in the Timor Sea.

Source: https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/30772901/

How Australian imperialism rips off Timor-Leste

Red Flag - February 2, 2016

Rutaban Yameen – Australia, which promotes itself as the liberator of the tiny nation of Timor-Leste (East Timor), has been ripping the country off.

Both governments have ratified the temporary resource sharing treaty on Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea (CMATS), which provides for the exploitation of oil and natural gas fields that mostly fall on the Timorese side of the halfway line between the two countries, short-changing Timor-Leste of tens of billions of dollars of government royalties and revenue.

In early October, Timor-Leste prime minister Rui Maria de Araujo announced that his country will seek arbitration.

In an address to the International Peace Institute on 1 October, former president and "father of the nation" Xanana Gusmso said that he was not "very optimistic about Australia". Citing British politician Lord Palmerston's maxim, "Nations have no permanent friends or allies, they only have permanent interests", Gusmso said, "This is the mindset of powerful nations when they deal with small countries like ours".

One of the fields in question is Greater Sunrise, which is located just 100km from East Timor's coastline. It is expected to generate approximately $40 billion in government revenues.

If maritime boundaries were established in accordance with international law, Greater Sunrise would lie entirely within East Timor's jurisdiction.

But two months before Timor-Leste gained formal independence in 2002, Australia withdrew recognition of the maritime boundary jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal of the Laws of the Sea, leaving the fledgling nation with no legal avenues to assert its rights.

The new government signed the Timor Sea Treaty with Australia, which split revenues from Greater Sunrise 18 percent to 82 percent Australia's way.

It wasn't the first time an Australian government betrayed the people of Timor.

Indonesian military forces brutally invaded Timor-Leste in 1975. The quarter-century occupation was supported by Australia and resulted in more than 100,000 East Timorese deaths. In 1989, Australia and Indonesia carved up East Timor's oil reserves, signing contracts with Shell, Phillips and other multinationals.

Opposition in Timor resulted in that government not ratifying the Timor Sea Treaty. The CMATS Treaty, signed in 2007, divides revenue 50-50 – still a rip-off.

As Gusmso noted, speaking with the Monthly's Mark Aarons last year, the withdrawal of recognition of international jurisdiction was clearly a move to allow the pilfering of resources: "[F]or less than 2 percent of Australia's maritime boundary, the unmarked part with us, the jurisdiction... is not recognised by Australia".

Source: https://redflag.org.au/article/how-australian-imperialism-rips-timor-leste

East Timor bugging scandal: Julie Bishop rejects former spy's bid to have passport

ABC Radio Australia - February 2, 2016

Steve Cannane – Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has intervened in an application by a former senior intelligence agent to have his passport returned, rejecting his application on the grounds he is a threat to national security.

The former ASIS agent, known as Witness K, is due to give evidence at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague about an operation to bug East Timor's cabinet rooms during negotiations with Australia over an oil and gas treaty in 2004.

East Timor is hoping to get the treaty – worth an estimated $40 billion – torn up on the basis that the bugging was illegal.

Key to their case is Witness K, the former foreign intelligence service agent who ran the spying operation. He has been unable to leave Australia since his passport was seized in a raid by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) on his home in 2012.

According to Witness K's lawyer Bernard Collaery, the new head of ASIO, Duncan Lewis, indicated last year that ASIO was not taking action on national security grounds regarding Witness K's passport.

But Lateline can reveal that Ms Bishop has rejected Witness K's application for a new passport despite what the head of ASIO said. A letter to Witness K's lawyers from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade explained Ms Bishop's decision:

"The Minister for Foreign Affairs has refused to issue you a passport. The decision to refuse to issue you a passport was made on the grounds that, pursuant to subsection 14(1)(a)(i) of the Act, a competent authority suspects on reasonable grounds that if an Australian passport were issued to you, you would be likely to engage in conduct that might prejudice the security of Australia."

Mr Collaery described the justification as laughable. "How could it be a prejudice to Australia's national security for K to repeat what he has said? And that is that an unlawful operation took place abroad," he said.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, who is a former intelligence analyst with the Office of National Assessments, is shocked by the decision

"We need to understand here that the person who makes a decision about someone being a security threat or not is the head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. In this case the head of ASIO has apparently judged that Witness K is not a security threat to this country," he said.

"That makes the apparent intervention of the Foreign Minister all the more remarkable. She is in no position to make any judgment about Witness K from a security point of view, which I think goes to show this is a political decision for political and diplomatic reasons and nothing to do with national security."

Mr Collaery said it was unclear who the "competent authority" referred to in DFAT's letter was.

ASIO would not confirm if they were that authority and in a statement a spokesperson for ASIO said they did not comment on individuals or operational matters.

'It looks grubby', Andrew Wilkie says

Mr Wilkie said the decision raised questions about how seriously the Government took international law.

"For the Foreign Minister apparently to deny Witness K a passport to give evidence at the Hague is really us just saying we don't care about the Hague, we don't care about international law," he said. "Every way you look at this it's grubby."

Mr Collaery said the issue raised broader questions about whether Australia abides by the treaties it signs. "Australia is bound, having received a proper arbitration request, to arbitrate," he said.

"So there are other issues that must be of concern to all Australians. They are: do we stick to our treaties? What will the Timorese think if we continue to fail to provide a key witness to the court, to the tribunal? What will ordinary Timorese think? What are we doing to our foreign relationship with Timor Leste?"

In the meantime, Witness K is stuck indefinitely without a passport in his retirement, unable to even travel overseas to visit family.

"Sitting in this country at the moment is a man who came forward with a most serious allegation that has not been refuted and what are we doing? He's in limbo. It's morale-damaging, it's wrong, it's cruel and it has no basis," Mr Collaery said.

"He has revealed apparent criminal activity and the perpetrators of that criminal activity have been promoted or assisted with government appointments and K remains in exile, without a passport and unable to travel. That's wrong."

Mr Collaery considers Witness K a hero for his work as a senior intelligence agent. "Witness K is a veteran, a patriotic Australian, a very decent individual," he said.

Ms Bishop's office provided Lateline with the following statement: "Consistent with the Privacy Act 1988 we do not comment on individual cases."

Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2016-02-02/east-timor-bugging-scandal-julie-bishop-rejects-former-spys-bid-to-have-passport-returned/1542754

Indonesia-Timor Leste to conduct joint survey on border dispute

Antara News - February 1, 2016

Kupang – The governments of Indonesia and Timor Leste will conduct a joint survey of some border areas in East Nusa Tenggara Province, which are still considered as disputed territory by the two countries.

The results of the joint research would serve as groundwork for conducting a joint discussion to determine the disputed boundaries between the two countries, Head of the Border Management Agency of East Nusa Tenggara Paul Manehat stated.

"The joint research would be conducted in the near future, involving delegations from both Indonesia and Timor Leste," he noted here on Monday.

The initiative to conduct a joint research is proposed by Indonesias Ministry of Foreign Affairs as in the latest meeting with the government of Timor Leste in Dili, last year, the two countries had not reached an agreement on how to deal with the border dispute.

Paul remarked that the research would focus on some disputed areas such as the Citrana-Noelbes area in Kupang regency and Oecuse and Manusasi in Central North Timor regency.

The research would also involve the traditional and community leaders who have been living in coexistence in each territory in the border areas since their views are necessary to obtain the actual data related to the history of the areas located on the existing boundary points.

"Such concept has been based on the agreement between the two countries. It is aimed at gaining the best result to solve the border issue, which has been a cause of rising tensions between Indonesia and Timor Leste," Paul stated.

Commander of Udayana IX Military District Major General M. Setyo Sularso claimed that there are at least six disputed border areas in East Nusa Tenggara between Indonesia and Timor Leste. Sularso affirmed that the disputes between the countries are categorized into two types of border problems.

The first one is an unresolved segment, an issue related to the state border between Indonesia and Timor Leste in which the borderline has not been agreed upon or decided by the two countries.

The second one is an unsurveyed segment, an issue concerning the borderline, which has been decided by the two countries, but the people of Indonesia and Timor Leste are unaware of it.

There are two disputes that are considered as an unsurveyed segment. The first is related to an area in a river or delta along the Noelbesi-Citrana area, North Netamnanu village, East Amfoang sub-district, Kupang regency. The river is 4.5 kilometers in length.

"Indonesia wants its boundary line to be located on the western side of the river," Sularso stated. However, Timor Leste has a different point of view.

Without regard to the sterile area status, which means there must be no activity in the disputed area, Timor Leste has, in fact, already built permanent agricultural offices, meeting hall, logistics warehouse, rice mill, irrigation canals, and paved roads. (Reported by Yohanes Adrianus/Uu.INE/KR-BSR/F001)

Source: http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/102880/indonesia-timor-leste-to-conduct-joint-survey-on-border-dispute

Freedom of speech & expression

Journalist hit with defamation suit from Timor Leste's Prime Minister over corruption

Global Voices - February 23, 2016

Timor Leste's prime minister has filed a defamation suit against a journalist, who learned of the legal action against him last month.

On November 10, 2015, veteran journalist Raimundo Oki wrote for Timor Post newspaper that it was Prime Minister Rui de Araujo who "recommended the winning bid for a project to supply and install computer equipment to the new Ministry of Finance building in 2014", according to the Southeast Asian Press Alliance. Araujo at the time was an adviser to the Minister of Finance.

SEAPA reported that the newspaper published Araujo's response to the allegations on its front page seven days later, in accordance with the right of reply guaranteed under Article 34 of the country´s Press Law, passed in 2014.

Despite this, the prime minister still filed suit against Oki. If convicted, Oki could face up to three years in prison for the crime of defamation for false accusations under Article 285 (1) of the Timor Leste Penal Code.

Felipe Belo, president of the Timor Leste Journalist Association (AJTL), urged the leader to respect the work of the media sector:

"The Prime Minister should lead by example on how to respect the country's Press Law by recognizing that such reporting is part of the work of journalists. If Oki made an error in reporting, it should be dealt with under the Press Law... The lawsuit is an act of criminalization of the work of journalists."

This is not the first time that a journalist in Timor was sued in court for exposing alleged corruption in the country. Oki and another journalist risked imprisonment in 2013 for writing about corruption in the judicial system. The court dismissed the case against the two journalists.

As a journalist, Oki attended the Reham Al-Farra Memorial Journalists Fellowship Programme at the United Nations' headquarters in New York in September, completing the program with fellow journalists from 15 other countries. In this video, Oki was interviewed about the role of the Global Goals approved by the UN in promoting prosperity in Timor Leste:

Global Voices tried to reach Oki and the office of the prime minister to get more details about this case but received no answer. On February 9, Oki posted this meme about journalism on his Facebook page:

Source: https://globalvoices.org/2016/02/23/journalist-hit-with-defamation-suit-from-timor-lestes-prime-minister-over-corruption-reporting/

Political parties & elections

'Discontent' about Xanana Gusmao, Mari Alkatiri families: East Timor president

Melbourne Age - February 26, 2016

Tom Allard – East Timor's president has compared former prime ministers Xanana Gusmao and Mari Alkatiri to the Indonesian dictator Suharto, saying there was "widespread discontent" among the public that their families were benefiting from lucrative government contracts.

The comments from Taur Matan Ruak – also known as Jose Maria Vasconcelos, were made in a fiery, unscripted speech before East Timor's parliament on Thursday, where he also decried the squandering of budget funds while many Timorese lived in poverty amid poor sanitation, education and health services.

"President of the Republic had received complaints concerning privileges granted to our brothers Xanana's and Mari's family members and friends within regarding contracts signed with the State," he said.

"[There is] widespread discontent over the granting of privileges. Suharto was overthrown by his family. Too many privileges!" The Suharto family secured billions of dollars of government contracts during his graft-ridden rule.

Mr Ruak's incendiary remarks raised the stakes in his battle with the national parliament, where the parties of Mr Gusmao and Dr Alkatiri dominate in a "coalition of national unity".

Mr Ruak said this new coalition embracing all the major political parties had seen Mr Gusmao and Dr Alkatiri divide power among themselves while crushing dissent. "Brother Xanana takes care of Timor while brother Mari takes care of Oecusse," Mr Ruak said. "Those who talk against Parliament and the Government become targets. Is this the democracy we see in our country?"

Mr Gusmao was prime minister until late 2014 but is widely seen as remaining the dominant power in the new Timor government. He also remains minister for infrastructure.

Mr Gusmao's nephew Nilton Gusmao is one of East Timor's wealthiest businessmen. On Monday, he was awarded East TImor's first pay-TV licence. He also owns construction and transportation companies.

The family of Dr Alkatiri, prime minister from 2002 to 2006, has extensive business interests, including in construction.

Dr Alkatiri is currently president of the Special Administrative Region of Oecusse, the East Timor enclave surrounded by Indonesia that has been turned into a special economic zone and benefited from generous government funding. Known by its Portuguese acronym ZEESM, the Oecusse authority has wide-ranging powers – including setting its own tax rates and corporate regulations.

This year ZEESM has been allocated $US218 million ($301 million), 13 per cent of the entire East TImor budget and roughly the same as recurrent spending on health and education combined.

However, Mr Ruak provided no evidence of corrupt activity by Mr Gusmao and Dr Alkatiri. Fairfax Media does not suggest the pair are corrupt.

Mr Ruak, the country's largely ceremonial head of state, is expected to run for prime minister at next year's election. He has been embroiled in a dispute with parliament after he nominated his own replacements as chief and deputy chief of East Timor's defence force.

The stand-off has sparked talk that Mr Ruak could be impeached by upset MPs, who believe parliament has the power to decide who fills the defence leadership positions. Matters are likely to come to a head next week when parliament meets to consider its position.

A former head of the armed forces himself, Mr Ruak was – like Mr Gusmao – a hero of the armed resistance against Indonesian occupation. Indonesia's brutal rule over the tiny state occurred during Suharto's regime and led to up to 200,000 deaths.

[This article has been updated with quotes from the official transcript released by the office of President Taur Matan Ruak.]

Source: http://www.theage.com.au/world/discontent-about-xanana-gusmao-mari-alkatiri-families-east-timor-president-20160226-gn4ck9.html

Impeachment calls heating up in East Timor

Sydney Morning Herald - February 22, 2016

Lindsay Murdoch, Bangkok – MPs from East Timor's major political parties are moving to impeach the country's President as tensions rise again in the former Indonesian-controlled island nation.

The MPs are demanding that Taur Matan Ruak, also known by his Portuguese name Jose Maria Vasconcelos, reverse a decision not to reappoint the commander of East Timor's Defence Force, Major-General Lere Anan Timur.

Both Mr Ruak and Major-General Lere are heroes of East Timor's independence. For years, they were among guerrillas fighting Indonesia's armed forces from the country's mountains and jungles.

Former prime minister and president Xanana Gusmao, who is also a revolutionary hero, called a private meeting of key politicians to discuss the emerging crisis last week.

Representatives of the National Congress for Timorese Construction, which Mr Gusmao founded in 2007; the former ruling party Fretilin (Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor) and the Front for National Reconstruction of East Timor, known as Frente Mudanca (Change Front), agreed that Mr Ruak's decision was unconstitutional, sources said. Details of the impeachment move have not been made public.

Mr Ruak has appointed one of Major-General Lere's deputies to take over the position that commands 1332 active personnel. Mr Ruak, who is a powerful and popular figure, led the country's defence forces between 2002 and 2011 before becoming President. Since 2002, he has visited almost every village across the half-island nation.

Major-General Lere was sworn in as defence commander in 2011 by then president Jose Ramos-Horta, replacing Mr Ruak as he moved to the presidency. Major-General Lere vowed at the time to ensure the country's stability. "If we stand solid, there will be no one who can destroy our nation and our unity," he said.

Political instability spread across East Timor in 2006 when the then government sacked almost half of the defence force after protests over discrimination and poor conditions. As the army and police failed to stop spreading violence, foreign peacekeepers led by Australia were deployed to the country.

East Timor gained independence in 2002 after the Timorese overwhelmingly voted in 1999 to break Indonesia's rule at a violence-wracked United Nations-supervised referendum.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/impeachment-calls-heating-up-in-east-timor-20160222-gmzx8s.html

Labour & migrant workers

2,190 foreigners get work permit visas for TL in 2015

Dili Weekly - February 11, 2016

Paulina Quintso, – The Inspector General for Labour (IJT) and Secretary of State for Vocational Training Policy and Employment (SEPFOPE) Aniceto Leto Soro said in 2015 some 2,190 foreigners received work permit visas to work in Timor-Leste.

From the 2,190 foreigners, 1,690 were foreign workers and 502 qualified as employers. "Most of the 2,190 foreign workers approved in 2015 were from Indonesia," said Inspector General Soro in Dili.

He added that some were also from China and from the Philippine and other nationalities and included managers, foremen, chefs, carpenters, tradesmen and mechanics.

Meanwhile Member of the National Parliament MP Virgilio da Costa Hornai expressed concerns with some of the foreign workers who use their visa and end up working in prostitution. "Based on information I received, many Indonesian women work as prostitutes," he said.

He urged relevant authorities but in particular Immigration Police to better control foreigners working on tourism visas and for SEPFOPE not to authorise working visas for illegal activities.

In response to the concern, Inspector General Soro said visas are not given to prostitutes because this would break the law.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/news/13462-2-190-foreigners-get-work-permit-visas-for-tl-in-2015

National Child Commission conducts research on child labour in TL

Dili Weekly - February 9, 2016

Paulina Quintso – The President of National Commission Against Child Labour (KNTI) Aniceto Leto Soro said the commission has started conducting a national research program to determine the number of child currently working in Timor-Leste.

He added that KNTI was established in 2014 but its activities have not been adequately implemented because it needs statistics that will enable them to develop a national plan of action against child labour in the country.

"We are working with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and with the National Directorate of Statistics of the Ministry of Finance to undertake child labor research across the country," said the President of KNTI in Kaikoli, in Dili.

He added the research project will be undertaken across the whole territory because most child labour takes place in the rural areas, no in the urban centers.

He said the results of the study will be published shortly and that research has already been conducted in the municipalities of Baucau, Ermera and Aileu. The study is looking in particular at children involved in dangerous work, child rights and on the types of labour that cannot be undertaken by children.

Meanwhile the Director of the Youth Communications Forum (FKJ) Madalena da R. Pinto Baptista said child labour takes place in Timor-Leste because dire circumstances force them to and that to end child labour in the country, first social problems need to be addressed, including poverty.

"We speak to parents and they say their children need to work as well to help cover basic needs. The parents don't have jobs," she said.

She said based on FKJ's outreach data, in 2015, it identified more than 223 children selling products on the side of the city's streets.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/children-youth/13454-national-child-commission-conducts-research-on-child-labour-in-tl

Health & education

School feeding program not yet operational in 2016

Dili Weekly - February 22, 2016

Paulina Quintso – The Education Director for the Municipality of Viqueque, Emilio Amaral said in the new school year of 2016-2017 the school feeding program has not yet been implemented because government funds have not yet been released.

He said that the Ministry of Education (ME) has supplied rice to the municipalities but the program itself is not running because funds to buy other produce are not yet available.

"We have rice but we don't have any other funds in the bank so we have not been able to implement the program," said Director Amaral by phone. He added that as soon as funds are available that the school feeding program will be run.

Meanwhile, Farol Basic School student Margareta Baptista said since she started school in 2016 that the school feeding program has not been implemented during breaks. "After we came back the school has not run the school feeding program so students have to buy their own food," she said.

She hopes the Ministry of Education will be able to build a proper kitchen in her school and also to be able to provide training for the cooks so they can prepare healthy food.

The Director General of the Ministry of Education Antoninho Pires said the school feeding program will start being implemented shortly. "This year we allocate almost $13 million to the school feeding program so that we can run it like we did last year," said DG Pires.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/education/13484-school-feeding-program-not-yet-operational-in-2016

NOC reduced outreach activities due to limited human resource

Dili Weekly - February 22, 2016

Paulina Quintso – The Director of the National Optical Centre (NOC) Belmeiro Jeronimo said the institution would not provide medical consultations and eye surgery in all municipalities because it does not have sufficient human resources.

In 2015 the NOC conducted mobile activities across the territory to provide medical consultations and eye surgery in the community but this year it does not have enough resources.

"This year we will only provide medical consultations at the five referral hospitals including at the Atauro health centre because of our limited human resources and funds," said Director Jeronimo in Dili.

Many of the NOC's staff stopped working at the centre since the Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand completed its mission in Timor-Leste in 2015 and handed-over operations to the government. The government said itn would not be able to given follow up contracts to everyone who was previously engaged with the NOC. The centre currently has 20 staff and 3 optometrists from China, Nepal and Cuba.

Data collected by the NOC in 2015 showed that 10.492 Timorese had eye problems ranging from cataracts and eye tumours. Patients suffering from cataracts had local surgery while the more serious eye tumour cases were referred to specialists overseas.

Resident Jose Sales said the government must continue to support the activities of the NOC because the outreach activities reach vulnerable people who otherwise would not have access to public health treatment.

"The existing services should continue to allow people in the rural areas to access eye treatment," said resident Sales. He urged the government to continue its mobile outreach services in the rural areas.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/health/13476-noc-reduced-outreach-activities-due-to-limited-human-resource

'Cuban medical brigade deserves Nobel Peace Prize', Laureate says

Prensa Latina - February 19, 2016

Havana – The former President of Timor-Leste, Jose Manuel Ramos-Horta, said today in Havana that no other organization or group of people in the world deserves the Nobel Peace Prize as much as the Cuban medical brigade.

According to the former President in the period 2007-2012, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996, as a Nobel Prize winner he has the possibility to nominate individuals or institutions to the prize, so this year, he proposed as candidates the doctors of the Caribbean island that offer their services in different parts of the world.

"It is a unique and extraordinary initiative that no one has replicated", he said during a conference at the International Congress "University 2016", which concludes this Friday at the Conference Center in Havana.

"The timing is perfect to deliver the prize to the medical brigade", said the politician, who acknowledged the support offered by Cuba to his country: 700 Timorese students have been trained as health professionals in the Caribeean island.

He also recalled that at the initiative of the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, Cuba installed in Timor-Leste a medical school.

During his speech, Ramos-Horta recalled that the Cuban medical cooperation began in 1963, a year after the Algerian independence, when the first Cuban contingent went to that African territory.

He highlighted the fact that while other organizations, such as the Nobel Prize winner Doctors Without Borders, offer their help in places for specific periods of time when there are emergencies, the Cuban doctors remain in many countries for as long as necessary.

To serve people, humanity, train the best professionals, that is the purpose of education', expressed Jose Manuel Ramos-Horta in reference to the work of Cuban teachers, who train health workers in Venezuela, Yemen, Guinea Bissau, Ghana and his own country.

Source: http://www.plenglish.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4625941&Itemid=1

Education Ministry rehabilitates over 300 schools

Dili Weekly - February 2, 2016

Paulina Quintso – The Director General of the Ministry of Education Antoninho Pires said that in 2015 the ministry was able to rehabilitate over 300 schools across the whole Timorese territory.

He added that some schools were only renovated while others received additional classrooms and other facilities.

"We will continue to rehabilitate schools that have been already identified including increasing classrooms and we will allocate the necessary funds," said DG Pires, from his office in Vila Verde, in Dili.

He added that in 2013 the ministry identified some 800 schools that were damaged and were in need of renovations. From 2014 to 2015 the ministry was able to rehabilitate more than 500 schools.

DG Pires said also that the school rehabilitation consists of a complete package including toilet facilities and access to clean water and that the National Development Agency (ADN) is responsible for the rehabilitation work.

Meanwhile, National Member of Parliament MP Manuel Castro urged ADN to clarify how the budget approved by the National Parliament for school's rehabilitation has been used because many schools are still damaged and do not have chairs.

MP Castro added that in 2014 the parliament approved $25 million dollars to resolve issues with school's infrastructure but in reality many schools are damaged and students continue to sit of the floor.

"I have been following the developments of these projects. Some schools have been built but not plastered and have been left like that," said the MP.

He believes the challenges to education have not yet been resolved because the government has wasted much money but schools continue to lack adequate conditions.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/education/13438-education-ministry-rehabilitates-over-300-schools

Gusmao visits patients at Indonesian hospital ship KRI Soeharso

Antara News - February 1, 2016

Surabaya – Former prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste (RDTL) Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao visited patients at the Indonesian hospital ship KRI Dr Soeharso (KRI SHS)-990, which is on a health service mission.

Gusmao, who is currently serving as Timor Lestes Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment, greeted the patients on the first day of the health service (Jan. 30), Indonesias Eastern Fleet Command spokesman Lt Col Maman Sulaeman noted in a written statement received by ANTARA News on Monday.

"Shortly after the humanitarian mission was officially inaugurated by Director General of the Defense Forces of the Ministry of Defense Rear Admiral Agus Purwoto, more than 500 people were already present in the three waiting rooms set up as part of our health service mission," Sulaeman remarked.

In the framework of social service organized by the Ministry of Defense of Indonesia, which lasted until Monday (Feb. 1), several people were eager to undergo a health checkup. In fact, some people had received a referral for a follow-up health check at the ship of KRI Soeharso.

On the occasion, Gusmao warmly greeted hundreds of patients and reviewed the facilities and medical services being offered as part of Indonesias health charity mission.

Speaking to reporters, Gusmao expressed gratitude to the Indonesian National Army and other supporting parties for organizing a health service mission for the people of Timor Leste.

"This mission would enhance the sound relations between the governments of Indonesia and Timor Leste. In future, I hope this activity would be organized in some other areas of Timor Leste," he stated.

Previously, Commander of Timor Lestes Defense Forces, Major General Lere Anan Timur, had welcomed the arrival of the Indonesian hospital ship KRI SHS in Timor Leste on January 30.

He lauded the health service mission, which involved experienced medical personnel, in an effort to strengthen the relationship and cooperation between Indonesia and Timor Leste.

Beside the KRI SHS, which serves as a hospital ship, the pier and hall at Dili harbor in Timor Leste was also being used to conduct various health programs under which the patients could receive initial treatment. (Reported by Edy M Yakub/Uu.Y013/B/KR-BSR/F001)

Source: http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/102883/gusmao-visits-patients-at-indonesian-hospital-ship-kri-soeharso

Women's rights

CAUCUS: Women's associations must stand firm

Dili Weekly - February 24, 2016

Paulina Quintso – The Director of Caucus (Women in Politics) Foundation Paula Corte Real urged women's associations across the 12 municipalities to stand firm and work together to encourage women with potential to take a more active role in national development efforts.

She said some women's associations are implementing worthwhile activities such as, programs on how to develop strategic plans, raising awareness of women's platforms, action and promoting association's profiles to the communities but many are experiencing internal challenges.

"Elected structures should avoid personal interests and should work together to address women's needs and help them solve the problems they face," said CAUCUS Director Corte Real in her office, in Kaikoli, Dili.

She added that the elected women must work hard to improve women' lives in their municipalities.

The Director of Caucus who is also a member of Timor-Leste's women network (Rede Feto) also praised the commitment of the Secretariat of State for the Socio-Economic Support of Women (SEM) and the National Parliament for allocating annual funds to support women's associations at the municipal level.

Meanwhile the President of the Ermera Women's Association Maria Exposto acknowledged poor participation of the elected structures is one of the challenges they face.

Nevertheless, she added that despite the challenges that her association continues to undertake activities to prepare women to take part in the development process planned by the government.

"We shared information about the process of pre-desconcentration, decentralization and sukus election to communities including in the municipalities especially targeting women women," said President Exposto via phone interview.

She said also that in 2015 her association received $5.000 from the government through SEM to rehabilitate their office.

Meanwhile the President of FADA (Aileu Women's Development Association) Cristina da Conceicso said they have received several trainings including on how to conduct research about women' participation in politics in women's organisations.

"We took part in the action plan discussions of the pre-desconcentration process. We also raised awareness of the internal regulations such as the tara bandu to the community," she said. She added they will continue to work with women's organizations and provide training to the women with potential of Aileu.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/gender/13492-caucus-women-s-associations-must-stand-firm

CAUCUS getting women ready for leadership roles

Dili Weekly - February 24, 2016

Paulina Quintso – The Director of CAUCUS (Women in Politics) Foundation, Paula Corte Real said the foundation is committed to continue to prepare women with potential for decision making roles.

She said she believes women's potential is never-ending so it is important to enable them to acquire new knowledge every day and to ensure women are represented in decision-making positions.

"We do not want women to serve as mere decoration; they need to be top leaders and make decisions, to analyse and to respond to the community's needs," said Director Corte Real in her office, in Kaikoli, Dili.

She added that for new nations like Timor-Leste, women's political participation is already exemplary but it is still limited in terms of decision-making due to tradition that deems women as less able to make decisions.

She said also that even though there are some local female leaders that women need to update their skills in management, in budget planning, in reporting, in monitoring, in advocacy and in public speaking and coordination, so they can be more effective leaders.

Meanwhile the President of the Women's Aileu Association for Development Action (FADA) Cristina da Conceicso said their local women are reading themselves to take part in the next general elections including the municipality election, the xefe sukus (village chiefs) election and in the 2017 general election.

"We have taken a part in the strategic plan discussions for the pre-desconcentration process as well as across other sectors," she said.

She added her association will keep making an effort to provide training and prepare women with potential to be able to prove that they have leadership qualities that can help address the community's needs.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/gender/13488-caucus-getting-women-ready-for-leadership-roles

Catholic church & religion

Pope Francis names new bishop in Timor-Leste

UCA News - February 1, 2016

Thomas Ora, Timor Leste – Pope Francis has appointed Salesian Father Virgilio do Carmo da Silva, the provincial superior of the Timor-Leste province, as the new bishop of Dili, replacing Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva, who died of brain cancer last April.

The appointment was announced by Msgr. Ionut Paul Strejac, the Vatican's charge d'affaires in Timor-Leste, during a Jan. 30 press conference at the bishop's residence in Dili.

The diocese has been administered by Bishop Basilio do Nascimiento of Baucau since Feb. 9, 2015, after Bishop da Silva stepped down.

The deceased bishop replaced Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, who was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his opposition to the Indonesian often brutal occupation of Timor-Leste's occupation. Bishop-elect da Silva's ordination Mass is scheduled for March 19.

"Being a bishop is not an easy task. Hence I ask from each Catholic of Timor-Leste, priests, brothers, nuns, to pray for me," Bishop-elect da Silva told Timorese Catholics during Mass on Jan. 31.

Born Nov. 27, 1967 in Venilale, Bishop-elect da Silva attended Salesian-run primary and secondary schools. He later joined the Salesians and was ordained a priest on Dec. 18, 1998.

After his ordination Bishop-elect da Silva served as formation director and novice master for the Salesians, a parish priest and director of a technical school. He also has a licentiate in spirituality from the Pontifical Salesian University of Rome. His younger brother, Father Gui do Carmo da Silva, is also a Salesian priest.

Fausto Belo, 54, a retired high school teacher from Baucau, said the bishop-elect was known for being smart, sociable and even-tempered. "He always smiles and often helps his friends who are in difficult times," he said.

Source: http://www.ucanews.com/news/pope-francis-names-new-bishop-in-timor-leste/75112

Legislation & parliament

National Parliament passed 10 new laws in 2015

Dili Weekly - February 2, 2016

Venidora Oliveira – The Director of the Directorate of Plenary Support of the National Parliament, Armando Machado said that in 2015, members of parliament were able to pass 10 new pieces of legislation.

He added that some of the laws were proposed by the government while others were proposed by members of the national parliament.

"During twelve months, starting in September 2014 and up until September 2015 they were able to pass 10 new laws," said Director Machado at the National Parliament, in Dili.

Some of the law passed that were proposed by the government included the Voter Registration and Residency Law, the Political Parties Law, the Law on Electoral Administration, the Law on Territorial Administrative Legislation, the Community Leadership Law, and the Budget and Ratification Laws for 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Laws proposed by the MP's included the Consumer Protection Law, the Judicial Regime for Private Lawyers and legislation on lawyer training.

Director Machado said also that the National Parliament also ratified a range of UNESCO conventions including the Convention on Protection of World Patrimony, Cultural and Natural and also ratified cooperation agreements with several nations including between Timor-Leste and Portugal and also with the Vatican.

"They approved the diplomatic free visa cooperation with the European Union," he said.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament MP Adriano Joao acknowledged that the National Parliament passed many laws in the space of twelve months and he expects many other important laws will be passed in 2016. "Including the Land and Property Law, the Anti-Corruption Law, and the Life Pension Law," added Joao.

Community resident Mario Goncalves said he is unhappy with the types of laws passed because they do not address the people's needs and that the most important laws are the Life Pension Law and the Anti-Corruption Law. "These laws are very important for the communities but they have not discussed them," he said.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/capital/13432-national-parliament-passed-10-new-laws-in-2015

Communication & transport

MOPTC allocates $10 million for rural road rehabilitation

Dili Weekly - February 11, 2016

Venidora Oliveira – The Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communication (MOPTC) Gastso de Sousa said the government has allocated $10 million out of the 2016 state budget for rural roads rehabilitation.

He said the government is committed to rehabilitate rural roads in 2016 because the population, including farmers need to access markets, as well as education and health facilities.

"We have allocated $10 million for the rehabilitation work and we hope this will address some of these issues," said Minister Sousa in Dili. "We also already have a list of roads that will be rehabilitated."

He warned that the $10 million won't be enough to rehabilitate all rural roads but that the government will ensure it uses the allocated funds efficiently.

Meanwhile member of the national parliament MP Arao Noe believes the initiative is good because it will allow rural communities to access markets, education and health.

The MP added that rural communities need good roads so that teachers reach schools, so that desks are sent to schools in remote areas, and so that health professionals can deliver medicines to health posts across the country.

"If [roads] are good then the market will be good and full of products grown that can be moved from town to town. We will also be able to send desks to schools," said MP Noe.

Resident Manuel Pereira is not impressed with the funds allocation because every year the national parliament allocated funds for the rehabilitation of roads but remote areas continue to be without good roads. "Our people in remote areas are suffering because of the roads," he added.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/development/13458-moptc-allocates-10-million-for-rural-road-rehabilitation

Village & rural life

Many village offices remain damaged due to limited funds

Dili Weekly - February 22, 2016

Venidora Oliveira – Member of Parliament MP Arao Noe said many village offices established across the 13 municipalities of Timor-Leste that are damaged are still waiting for the government to fix them.

MP Noe gave the example of the capital Dili municipality where many village and sub-village offices are damaged and also in other municipalities particularly in remote areas and that the onus in on the government to rehabilitate them so that they can run effectively.

"Some offices are showing signs of damages and cannot be used to run activities. Theses will gradually get worse and municipality administrators must look after the village offices," said MP Noe at the National Parliament.

He added though that village chiefs should also have own initiative to submit proposals to the government if they notice damages to their village offices.

"Village chiefs have to have plans and send proposal to the municipal administrators who will then be able to pass on the information to the Ministry of State Administration so it can allocate funds," said MP Noe.

Vice Minister for State Administration Tomas do Rosario Cabral said the ministry intends to fix villages offices but does not have sufficient funds. "He don't have enough funds because the funds allocated to this purposed for the Ministry of State Administration were only $35.000," said Vice Minister Cabral.

The Vice Minister added the budget allocation for the National Program for Village Development (PNDS) was insufficient to rehabilitate village offices because the funds are for basic infrastructure development.

However the Vice Minister said also that rehabilitation of village offices will be able to be done in 2017 through the District Development Program (PDD). "The village offices can only be rehabilitated through the PDD but this will only take place in 2017," said Vice Minister Cabral.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/development/13480-many-village-offices-remain-damaged-due-to-limited-funds

Armed forces & defense

Indonesia, Timor Leste establish cooperation on defense

Antara News - February 3, 2016

Jakarta – The governments of Indonesia and Timor Leste, through the Ministries of Defense, have agreed to establish cooperation in the field of defense, in particular education and training.

A press statement received by Antara here on Tuesday stated that the Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu paid a courtesy call to the East Timor Defense Minister in Dili on Monday (February 1).

The visit was conducted on the sidelines of a working visit of the Indonesian Minister of Defense in order to review the Indonesian Health Care Mission on the Floating Hospital in the Port of Dili, East Timor.

Ryamizard said Indonesia's Defense Ministry is ready to assist Timor-Leste, in particular to improve the capacity of the Timorese army personnel.

During this time, cooperation in defense related education and training between the two countries has been on, including Timor Leste Military Officers enrolling in Indonesia's Military Command and Staff School.

Timor Leste has also sent several students to study at the Institute of National Defense as well as at a number of universities in Indonesia.

The Indonesian Ministry of Defense opens up opportunities for Timorese soldiers to learn engineering. "The UN needs Engineering unit to build and improve places which are ravaged by war or natural disaster," Ryamizard stated.

The Defense Minister of Timor Leste, Cirilio Cristovao, said the defense cooperation between Indonesia and East Timor has been going on from the beginning. Both countries already have a cooperation agreement between their armed forces.

"To improve the quality and capability of the engineers, we hope we can send troops to undergo training in Indonesia," he said.

Source: http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/102919/indonesia-timor-leste-establish-cooperation-on-defense

Police & law enforcement

Parliament approves $28,931 million to improve the welfare of police officers

Dili Weekly - February 22, 2016

Venidora Oliveira – The National Parliament (NP) approved $28,931 million in the 2016 state budget to improve the welfare of members of the national police force PNTL.

Member of Parliament MP Cesar Valente said police officers make many sacrifices that go largely unrecognised to be present and safeguard the security and freedom of citizens.

"We agreed with the proposal by PNTL's general commander and as such we added $28,931 million for bonus' and allowances," said MP Valente at the National Parliament.

The MP hoped these funds would serve as motivation for PNTL officer to improve on their duties and even though these funds are not to be used based on performance that it will still have an impact.

He added that there are reports of police officers in some municipalities using their own money to buy fuel and using their own motorcycles to help victims or apprehend suspects. "We have noted this in our monitoring and we discovered that such issues exist that we need to look into," said MP Valente.

MP Agustino Lay said in addition to PNTL's welfare, the funds will also be used to build the capacity of PNTL officers so they can ensure national stability.

Stability should be created from grassroots level therefore the parliament would increase the budget for security institutions to purchase more motorbikes for village police officers to control the situations in villages to promote peace. "We create conditions for them to do their duties, we buy motorbikes and think about building houses for them in villages," said MP Lay.

Resident Tome da Cruz said it's crucial for the NP to approve a lot of money for PNTL as their work is very important linked to the national security. Almost every day, conflict happens in 13 municipalities and the presence of PNTL is very important to maintain security.

"PNTL officers need to have adequate transports, like cars and motorbikes, to go to the place where conflicts occur right away otherwise they'll come at the time the conflict is gone," said resident da Cruz.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/security-defencejustice/13482-parliament-approves-28-931-million-to-improve-the-welfare-of-police-officers

Foreign affairs & trade

Foreign Affairs elevates more women to top diplomatic posts

Dili Weekly - February 2, 2016

Paulina Quintso – The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MNEC) Hernani Coelho said in 2016 the number of Timorese female ambassadors will increase.

He added that all Timorese, female and male, have equal rights to become ambassadors and that there are no specific requirements apart from the ability and commitment to serve the country.

"It is not about gender or race but it is about the spirit of nationalism and the ability and commitment to serve the nation," said Minister Coelho at the National Parliament, in Dili.

Even though the number of female ambassadors is still limited, Timor-Leste has females Ambassadors to Portugal, to the UN in America, to Singapore, to Cambodia and to South Korea.

Member of the National Parliamentarian Women's Group (GMPTL) MP Josefa Alvares Pereira Soares said the top diplomatic job is not an easy one.

She urged Timorese women to increase their knowledge of international affairs as there are more opportunities for women.

"They need not only be smart but they also need to have a sound understanding of international issues including knowledge of foreign languages," added the MP.

MP Soares acknowledged that gender promotion and equality in Timor-Leste has made significant progress as demonstrated by the high number of female parliamentarians and now with the increase of female ambassadors.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/gender/13434-foreign-affairs-elevates-more-women-to-top-diplomatic-posts

Economy & investment

Timor-Leste offers incentives to investors

Macauhub - February 19, 2016

Timor-Leste (East Timor) offers tax advantages and other incentives to those who want to invest in the country and is working to overcome the shortcomings that still exist in terms of legislation, the country's Trade Minister said Thursday in Dili.

Constancio Pinto, who is also the Industry and Environment Minister, was presenting the 2nd meeting of trade ministers and of the 1st Economic Forum of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP), taking place next week in Dili.

"Timor-Leste is located in what is an economically very active region and can be the gateway or bridge between the countries of the CPLP and Asia-Pacific," he said, cited by Portuguese news agency Lusa.

Zacarias da Costa, former Foreign Minister and chairman of the organizing committee of the 1st Economic Forum of the CPLP, highlighted the interest that the meeting was generating, with more than 400 registered companies.

To date the Commission has received more than 300 requests for business to business meetings, one of the main components of Dili Forum, taking place from 25-27 Februarysoon after the meeting of CPLP ministers, which begins on Monday.

Delegations from about two dozen countries, including the members of the CPLP states and nations from Asia and the Pacific are included in the forum, which will feature an exhibition area of over 30 national, corporate and institutional pavilions.

Source: http://www.macauhub.com.mo/en/2016/02/19/timor-leste-offers-incentives-to-investors/

ConocoPhillips settles tax disputes with Timor-Leste

Sydney Morning Herald - February 18, 2016

Angela Macdonald-Smith – US oil giant ConocoPhillips has settled the biggest part of its long-running tax disputes with the Timor-Leste government, clearing the air for potential further investment in the region down the track.

A joint statement issued late Wednesday by the two parties didn't disclose the terms of the settlement, which they said was confidential.

The acrimonious disputes have been ongoing for several years, overhanging discussions over the fate of Woodside Petroleum's Sunrise gas venture, in which Conoco is a partner, and clouding prospects for further investment by the US player in Timor-Leste's petroleum resources.

The tax assessments related to the decommissioning of the Bayu-Undan gas field, the drilling of the Phoenix and Firebird wells and the "capacity reserve charge" issue have all now been settled, according to the statement.

However the parties were unable to reach a deal on the tax assessment of pipeline withholding tax related to the Bayu-Undan gas pipeline that runs to Darwin. That matter will be left with the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, they said.

The disagreement centred on the tax treatment of activities mostly based in the Joint Petroleum Development Area in the Timor Sea, an area of waters jointly administered by Timor-Leste and Australia.

The Timor-Leste government and Conoco said they are "pleased to have agreed to a path that respects Timor-Leste's right to tax and the rights of ConocoPhillips as a taxpayer," they said.

In addition the parties have agreed on a framework including dispute resolution procedures and penalties, and to work towards a uniform tax codes for Bayu-Undan operations to minimise future disputes.

"The Timorese Government is committed to continuously working with international companies to ensure that the people of Timor-Leste benefit from business activities in the region, and is pleased that ConocoPhillips recognises the needs and challenges of an emerging state," Timor-Leste minister of finance Santina Viegas Cardoso said in the statement.

ConocoPhillips Australia West president Chris Wilson said the US company "holds in high esteem its relationship with Timor-Leste and the many Timorese who benefit from its Bayu-Undan operations."

The two said the settlement "sends a positive signal to developing countries and the international business community and potential investors alike."

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/business/conocophillips-settles-tax-disputes-with-timorleste-20160218-gmwzg8.html

The young entrepreneurs helping to rebuild East Timor

BBC News - February 11, 2016

Kate Stanton, Dili, East Timor – Cesar Gaio loves cooking in the open air. He hovers over a gas stove next to the winding road that edges the sea in Dili, East Timor, preparing wraps filled with purple sweet potato and fresh fish.

"I love people to see me cooking," he says. "Like Jamie Oliver." Mr Gaio carts a gas stove around the city in the back of his pick-up truck, setting up shop wherever he likes.

Both Dilicious Timor, the mobile kitchen he started in February last year using his savings and small investments from two friends, and the small restaurant of the same name that he opened six months later, serve local Timorese cuisine made from fresh produce.

This is a rarity in a country that imports more than half of its food, a situation that 32-year-old Mr Gaio wants to help change.

He is one of a growing number of young, savvy Timorese entrepreneurs starting small businesses with an eye to lifting Timor into a more prosperous era. They hire local staff and use local products in the hope of contributing to the growth of their new country.

East Timor, or Timor-Leste, became independent in 2002 after centuries of Portuguese rule and a 25-year occupation by neighbouring Indonesia. About 200,000 people are thought to have died during Indonesian rule, a staggering number for a population of less than one million at the time.

Despite continuing problems with infrastructure and poverty, Timorese people are still hopeful about the future. Timor is so new that anything seems possible.

Like Mr Gaio, Gally Soares Araujo has taken a chance. He left his well-paid government job last year and used his savings to open Kaffe U'ut, a small, red brick cafe in central Dili, which sells flat whites, lattes and carrot cakes, mainly to ex-pats or foreign visitors.

"East Timor has a great potential for tourism and coffee industry. But right now the coffee industry is still underdeveloped. "We believed that we should start doing something," says 29-year-old Mr Araujo.

Mr Araujo, who was educated in Portugal and describes himself as a coffee addict, says his cafe is the only locally owned one in East Timor. All its products are made in the country, and it employs local staff. "In a broader perspective, we believe that we can be part of the change of East Timor," he says.

He says he has seen a growing interest in local entrepreneurship around Timor since the United Nations ended its peacekeeping mission and left the country in 2012. "We knew we would have to start building the country without help," he says.

Changing attitudes

There are also burgeoning creative enterprises in Dili. Rui Carvalho used his savings and family land to start Rui Collections, a made-to-order fashion boutique, in 2009. He sources tais, a traditional, woven cotton cloth, from rural women to make modern clothing, shoes and handbags.

Mr Carvalho says many Timorese people reserve tais for funerals. But the 42-year-old wants to help see tais recognised around the world as the art of East Timor.

"When I see women in a rural area, they don't know how to read, they don't know how to count, but they know how to make one piece of tais. It's very hard to do. "I'm very proud of it and I want to celebrate it," he says. He has more than a dozen employees and says he hires widows, school drop-outs and transgender youth.

This kind of entrepreneurship is rare in East Timor, where up to 80% of people live off the land. Fewer than 200,000 people – in a country of 1.1 million – have formal jobs or employ others.

Filipe Alfaiate who runs Empreza Di'ak, an organisation that has spent the past five years trying to encourage entrepreneurship as a form of social change, says that East Timor has struggled to develop a market economy of its own because decades of turmoil have made people risk averse.

"People have been through a lot. They prefer what they know – a steady job and fixed payment," he says. But he says he is now seeing a change in attitudes toward entrepreneurship, especially among young people.

"You have half of the population less than 30 years old. There are not enough jobs for everyone. So we are probably getting new kids who are more entrepreneurial. They're more willing to take risks."

Nonetheless, he says challenges for budding small business owners are still enormous, due partly to the still poor infrastructure, such as the lack of good roads and unreliable electricity, but also because of attitudes.

Timor has yet to make the "huge cultural shift" from a subsistence economy – where people grow food but don't sell it – to a market economy, he says.

"The private sector was developed in Timor basically to feed the United Nations. "They import stuff and they sell it. That's what they do. That is very different from dealing with local producers," Mr Alfaiate says.

He says any local brave enough to start a small business must be special – or have money. "There are so many barriers to the market. It is really difficult for someone to succeed as an entrepreneur. You need to have a mix of huge talent, access to finance and a lot of support."

Despite the obstacles, Florencio Sanches, the head of the government office that registers new businesses, says the number of young entrepreneurs, has increased, helped by streamlined registration practices which have made it easier for Timorese people to get started.

He says his office has registered 11,000 new businesses in the last three years, most of which are owned by people under 30. It used to take up to five years to register 5,000.

But Mr Sanches says it is still too difficult to get access to credit in East Timor. He thinks the government should develop policies that encourage banks to loan money to individuals. "The government itself cannot do it all. We need the participation from the private sector," he says.

Dilicious Timor owner Mr Gaio is certainly willing. "We really look forward to the future. Making a change," he says.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35522521

Invasion & occupation

East Timor's tent city: The month when Darwin found itself the epicentre of a

ABC News - February 22, 2016

Emilia Terzon – From Cyclone Tracy to the Bali bombings, the small tropical city of Darwin has on a few rare, yet memorable occasions become an epicentre of a major international event.

One of those moments was the humanitarian crisis that followed East Timor's independence vote in 1999. Former Northern Territory politician Kon Vatskalis "remembers very well" the phone call that preceded a mass arrival of East Timor evacuees to Darwin in September 1999.

"I was doing some shopping at Nightcliff and, as I was getting into my car, the phone rang," Mr Vatskalis told 105.7 ABC Darwin. "It said, 'come quickly to the Kalymnian Club. There's about 100 evacuees from East Timor'. Then it was 200. Then another phone call said it was 500. By the weekend, it was 2,000 arriving. That's how everything started for us."

Beginning with attacks by anti-independence militants on civilians after a majority of Timorese voters chose independence from Indonesia in August 1999, the violence in East Timor eventually expanded and saw 1,400 killed throughout the region.

Many across Australia will remember the peacekeeping mission, INTERFET, to help quell the violence. But in Darwin, many Australians also came together to help the traumatised people in another way – from opening up local schools for foreign children, to sitting around swimming pools with interpreters and sewing machines.

It was not the first time, however, that Darwin – the closest Australian city to East Timor's capital Dili – had offered help to its northern neighbours, Matthew Stephens, oral historian at the NT Archives, told 105.7 ABC Darwin. "There is a long relationship with Timor, such as in 1975 when the Indonesians invaded."

Evacuees arrive to a makeshift tent city

Arriving by a giant flotilla of Hercules aircraft in Darwin, the evacuees of 1999 were mostly United Nations workers and their families from a compound in Dili that had come under threat during the independence voting crisis.

For many, their home for the next month was a tent city set up by the military in the great expanse between the Kalymnian and Cyprus Club and the Timorese and Portuguese Hall in suburban Darwin.

Mr Vatskalis, who then was a manager at the Department of Environment and Health, helped organise the city at Marrara.

"I will never forget the look in the eyes of the people coming out of the bus. They were shocked. They were in disbelief. They only had the clothes they were wearing. They had nothing else," he said. "Some couldn't speak English or Portuguese. We had to bring in translators. It was a great effort for Darwin."

Mr Stephens said that despite the "initial surprise and shock" about such a large amount of people coming to Darwin and concerns about health issues at the tent city, many in the community rallied together to help out.

"Royal Darwin Hospital provided meals and laundry services. Police were playing soccer [at the tent city]. There was all kinds of activities for kids and families," he said. "It was about trying to make the experience a little less traumatic and to make them feel safe in Australia."

Territory artist and curator Joanna Barrkman, who had spent some time in East Timor before the independence crisis, was one of those who gave up their time to help out.

Her volunteer efforts through the Working Women's Centre of the NT involved spending time with a small group of people who did not stay at the tent city – the wives of United Nations diplomats, staff, interpreters, cleaners and drivers living at hotels and motels around Darwin.

"We found a lot of women were just sitting in their hostel rooms in trauma and shock and didn't know where they were," Ms Barrkman told 105.7 ABC Darwin.

Ms Barrkman and other volunteers headed to a hotel and set up sewing machines around a swimming pool for a group of the women, eventually coming up with a banner sewing project to celebrate East Timor's independence.

"We sat around the pool on a daily basis hand stitching and beading while their kids went off to school at Parap," she said. "It was all about the process of bringing those women together and having a community and something positive."

Evacuees move on and tent city packs up

After a month in Darwin, the tent city was packed up and many evacuees were moved on to live in other parts of Australia; some eventually resettled permanently.

The banners created by the wives beside the hotel swimming pool were eventually sent back to Dili, where they were hung in the Timorese parliament after the region was finally declared independent from Indonesia in May 2002.

Other items created by the women such as tea towels and cards were sold at fundraisers so the women could go home with sewing machines to help rebuild their country. "They squatted in a building when they got home and made mattresses for people," Ms Barrkman said.

Mr Vatskalis has also been back to East Timor since 1999 and was thanked by some who came to Darwin as an evacuee. "The interesting thing was when I went to Timor as a minister, I was in a meeting and a couple came up to me and said, 'we remember you'," he said. "I reckon Darwin rose to the occasion and it provided people with a safe haven."

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-22/looking-back-on-the-1999-east-timor-tent-city-in-darwin/7187966

'Sounds like fun': Aussie diplomats mock reports of Indonesian rape and murder of

WA Today - February 21, 2016

Tom Allard – Australian diplomats in the Jakarta embassy mocked reports of the rape, torture and execution of East Timorese after the invasion of Indonesia, remarking that it "sounds like fun" and "the population must be in raptures".

The handwritten annotations are on a memo sent to the embassy in November 1976, less than a year after Indonesia seized East Timor by force.

The correspondence – originating from the Australian embassy in the Hague and also sent to Canberra – carries a media release from Fretilin, the separatist resistance movement that was fighting the Indonesians.

The release details fighting across the territory and artillery bombardments by Indonesian forces on villages. In Quelicai district, Fretilin boasts of success repelling the Indonesians and that the "enemy was impotent".

It also says "the enemy are daily torturing, raping and executing the captured population" at a detention camp near Bacau.

This phase in the release is underlined by a diplomat, with the comment added "sounds like fun". Another handwritten comment observes: "sound like the population must be in raptures."

Another handwritten annotation by a diplomat jokes: "This [Fretilin] report is internally inconsistent. If 'the enemy was impotent', as stated, how come they are daily raping the captured population? Or is the former a result of the latter?"

The memo and its annotations were found in the National Archives by two researchers from Monash University, Sara Niner and Kim McGrath. The memo, said Dr Niner, was "vivid evidence of the lack of empathy and concern for human rights abuses in East Timor" in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

"The archives in Canberra reveal that this culture of cover up is closely tied to DFA's need to recognise Indonesian sovereignty over East Timor so as to commence negotiations over the petroleum in the Timor Sea."

The boundary negotiated in the early 1970s with Indonesia was highly favourable to Australia but left a gap in the border – the so-called Timor Gap as East Timor was then a Portuguese colony.

Before Indonesia's invasion in 1975, Australia's ambassador in Indonesia Richard Woolcott cabled Canberra to observe the gap in the sea border "could be much more readily negotiated with Indonesia".

Australia has declined to negotiate a permanent boundary since East Timor's independence, with the fledgling state waiting to hear if Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will begin talks.

Fairfax Media contacted members of the Jakarta embassy staff at the time who received the document. Cavan Hogue – who later rose to become an ambassador in the Soviet Union and Thailand – said he had just arrived at the embassy but could have penned at least one of the annotations, notably the joke about Fretilin being "internally inconsistent".

"It does look like my handwriting," he said. "If I made a comment like that, being the cynical bugger that I am, it would certainly have been in the spirit or irony and sarcasm. It's about the press release, not the Timorese. That's how I'd interpret it."

Peter Rodgers, who is named on the memo as a recipient, declined to clarify if he authored any annotations but did offer his views in two brief emails.

"Those in the embassy in 1976 had no more reason to believe Fretilin propaganda than they did to believe Indonesian, UDT [Fretilin's local conservative rivals], Apodeti [a party favouring Indonesian integration] propaganda over the situation in East Timor," he said.

"The commentary was blunt but this was on claims made by one of the protagonists in a messy, propaganda-rich, conflict."

However, the Fretilin "propaganda" was broadly accurate. The United Nations-sponsored 2500 page report into violence in East Timor during the occupation found thousands of instances of sexual violence, forced starvation, summary executions and torture.

"Rape, sexual slavery and sexual violence were tools used as part of the campaign designed to inflict a deep experience of terror, powerlessness and hopelessness upon pro-independence supporters," the report said.

"It was common practice for members of the Indonesian security forces to keep East Timorese women in detention in military bases. These women, who were sometimes detained for many months and sometimes years, were often raped on a daily basis or on demand by the officer who controlled them, and often also by other soldiers."

As many as 180,000 people died between 1975 and 1999, about one-third of East TImor's pre-invasion population. The peak for death, torture and starvation was between 1975 and 1979.

In 1979, Mr Rodgers – who left the embassy to become a Fairfax correspondent in Jakarta – defied Indonesia's military to publish photos of starving Timorese in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Mr Rodgers received the Australian journalist of the year award. But, while the photos galvanised outrage around the world, Mr Rodgers' reportage later received criticism for downplaying Indonesia's role.

"Deprivation was well established as a way of life long before the war," Mr Rodgers wrote in a series of articles. "The upheaval in the territory of the past four years should not be confused with deliberate intent on Indonesia's part."

Mr Rodgers, returned to the diplomatic corp and rose to become ambassador to Israel from 1994-1997. He is now an author on Middle East affairs and academic at the Australian National University.

Mr Hogue, who has retired, said on Sunday there were "atrocities on all sides" and that people of goodwill believed it would be better for East Timor's people if they were part of Indonesia and not a "banana republic dependant on foreign aid".

Source: http://www.watoday.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/sounds-like-fun-aussie-diplomats-mock-reports-of-indonesian-rape-and-murder-of-timorese-20160221-gmzkat.html

Analysis & opinion

The rape of East Timor: 'Sounds like fun'

Telesur TV - February 25, 2016

John Pilger – Out of a population of almost a million, up to a third were extinguished. Secret documents found in the Australian National Archives provide a glimpse of how one of the greatest crimes of the 20th century was executed and covered up. They also help us understand how and for whom the world is run.

The documents refer to East Timor, now known as Timor-Leste, and were written by diplomats in the Australian embassy in Jakarta. The date was November 1976, less than a year after the Indonesian dictator General Suharto seized the then Portuguese colony on the island of Timor.

The terror that followed has few parallels; not even Pol Pot succeeded in killing, proportionally, as many Cambodians as Suharto and his fellow generals killed in East Timor. Out of a population of almost a million, up to a third were extinguished.

This was the second holocaust for which Suharto was responsible. A decade earlier, in 1965, Suharto wrested power in Indonesia in a bloodbath that took more than a million lives. The CIA reported: "In terms of numbers killed, the massacres rank as one of the worst mass murders of the 20th century."

This was greeted in the Western press as "a gleam of light in Asia" (Time).The BBC's correspondent in South East Asia, Roland Challis, later described the cover-up of the massacres as a triumph of media complicity and silence; the "official line" was that Suharto had "saved" Indonesia from a communist takeover.

"Of course my British sources knew what the American plan was," he told me. "There were bodies being washed up on the lawns of the British consulate in Surabaya, and British warships escorted a ship full of Indonesian troops, so that they could take part in this terrible holocaust. It was only much later that we learned that the American embassy was supplying [Suharto with] names and ticking them off as they were killed. There was a deal, you see. In establishing the Suharto regime, the involvement of the [US-dominated] International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were part of it. That was the deal."

I have interviewed many of the survivors of 1965, including the acclaimed Indonesian novelist Pramoedya Ananta Toer, who bore witness to an epic of suffering "forgotten" in the West because Suharto was "our man". A second holocaust in resource-rich East Timor, an undefended colony, was almost inevitable.

In 1994, I filmed clandestinely in occupied East Timor; I found a land of crosses and unforgettable grief. In my film, Death of a Nation, there is a sequence shot on board an Australian aircraft flying over the Timor Sea. A party is in progress. Two men in suits are toasting each other in champagne. "This is a uniquely historical moment," babbles one of them, "that is truly, uniquely historical."

This is Australia's foreign minister, Gareth Evans. The other man is Ali Alatas, the principal mouthpiece of Suharto. It is 1989 and they are making a symbolic flight to celebrate a piratical deal they called a "treaty". This allowed Australia, the Suharto dictatorship and the international oil companies to divide the spoils of East Timor's oil and gas resources.

Thanks to Evans, Australia's then prime minister, Paul Keating – who regarded Suharto as a father figure – and a gang that ran Australia's foreign policy establishment, Australia distinguished itself as the only western country formally to recognise Suharto's genocidal conquest. The prize, said Evans, was "zillions" of dollars.

Members of this gang reappeared the other day in documents found in the National Archives by two researchers from Monash University in Melbourne, Sara Niner and Kim McGrath. In their own handwriting, senior officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs mock reports of the rape, torture and execution of East Timorese by Indonesian troops. In scribbled annotations on a memorandum that refers to atrocities in a concentration camp, one diplomat wrote: "sounds like fun". Another wrote: "sounds like the population are in raptures."

Referring to a report by the Indonesian resistance, Fretilin, that describes Indonesia as an "impotent" invader, another diplomat sneered: "If 'the enemy was impotent', as stated, how come they are daily raping the captured population? Or is the former a result of the latter?"

The documents, says Sarah Niner, are "vivid evidence of the lack of empathy and concern for human rights abuses in East Timor" in the Department of Foreign Affairs. "The archives reveal that this culture of cover-up is closely tied to the DFA's need to recognise Indonesian sovereignty over East Timor so as to commence negotiations over the petroleum in the East Timor Sea."

This was a conspiracy to steal East Timor's oil and gas. In leaked diplomatic cables in August 1975, the Australian Ambassador to Jakarta, Richard Woolcott, wrote to Canberra: "It would seem to me that the Department [of Minerals and Energy] might well have an interest in closing the present gap in the agreed sea border and this could be much more readily negotiated with Indonesia... than with Portugal or independent Portuguese Timor." Woolcott revealed that he had been briefed on Indonesia's secret plans for an invasion. He cabled Canberra that the government should "assist public understanding in Australia" to counter "criticism of Indonesia".

In 1993, I interviewed C. Philip Liechty, a former senior CIA operations officer in the Jakarta embassy during the invasion of East Timor. He told me: "Suharto was given the green light [by the US] to do what he did. We supplied them with everything they needed [from] M16 rifles [to] US military logistical support... maybe 200,000 people, almost all of them non-combatants died. When the atrocities began to appear in the CIA reporting, the way they dealt with these was to cover them up as long as possible; and when they couldn't be covered up any longer, they were reported in a watered-down, very generalised way, so that even our own sourcing was sabotaged."

I asked Liechty what would have happened had someone spoken out. "Your career would end," he replied. He said his interview with me was one way of making amends for "how badly I feel."

The gang in the Australian embassy in Jakarta appear to suffer no such anguish. One of the scribblers on the documents, Cavan Hogue, told the Sydney Morning Herald: "It does look like my handwriting. If I made a comment like that, being the cynical bugger that I am, it would certainly have been in the spirit of irony and sarcasm. It's about the [Fretilin] press release, not the Timorese." Hogue said there were "atrocities on all sides".

As one who reported and filmed the evidence of genocide, I find this last remark especially profane. The Fretilin "propaganda" he derides was accurate. The subsequent report of the United Nations on East Timor describes thousands of cases of summary execution and violence against women by Suharto's Kopassus special forces, many of whom were trained in Australia. "Rape, sexual slavery and sexual violence were tools used as part of the campaign designed to inflict a deep experience of terror, powerlessness and hopelessness upon pro-independence supporters," says the UN.

Cavan Hogue, the joker and "cynical bugger", was promoted to senior ambassador and eventually retired on a generous pension. Richard Woolcott was made head of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Canberra and, in retirement, has lectured widely as a "respected diplomatic intellectual".

Journalists watered at the Australian embassy in Jakarta, notably those employed by Rupert Murdoch, who controls almost 70 per cent of Australia's capital city press. Murdoch's correspondent in Indonesia was Patrick Walters, who reported that Jakarta's "economic achievements" in East Timor were "impressive", as was Jakarta's "generous" development of the blood-soaked territory. As for the East Timorese resistance, it was "leaderless" and beaten. In any case, "no one was now arrested without proper legal procedures".

In December 1993, one of Murdoch's veteran retainers, Paul Kelly, then editor-in-chief of The Australian, was appointed by Foreign Minister Evans to the Australia-Indonesia Institute, a body funded by the Australian government to promote the "common interests" of Canberra and the Suharto dictatorship. Kelly led a group of Australian newspaper editors to Jakarta for an audience with the mass murderer. There is a photograph of one of them bowing.

East Timor won its independence in 1999 with the blood and courage of its ordinary people. The tiny, fragile democracy was immediately subjected to a relentless campaign of bullying by the Australian government which sought to manoeuvre it out of its legal ownership of the sea bed's oil and gas revenue. To get its way, Australia refused to recognise the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and the Law of the Sea and unilaterally changed the maritime boundary in its own favour.

In 2006, a deal was finally signed, Mafia-style, largely on Australia's terms. Soon afterwards, Prime Minister Mari Alkitiri, a nationalist who had stood up to Canberra, was effectively deposed in what he called an "attempted coup" by "outsiders". The Australian military, which had "peace-keeping" troops in East Timor, had trained his opponents.

In the 17 years since East Timor won its independence, the Australian government has taken nearly US$5 billion in oil and gas revenue – money that belongs to its impoverished neighbour.

Australia has been called America's "deputy sheriff" in the South Pacific. One man with the badge is Gareth Evans, the foreign minister filmed lifting his champagne glass to toast the theft of East Timor's natural resources. Today, Evans is a lectern-trotting zealot promoting a brand of war-mongering known as "RTP", or "Responsibility to Protect". As co-chair of a New York-based "Global Centre", he runs a U.S.-backed lobby group that urges the "international community" to attack countries where "the Security Council rejects a proposal or fails to deal with it in a reasonable time". The man for the job, as the East Timorese might say.

Source: http://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/The-Rape-of-East-Timor-Sounds-Like-Fun-20160225-0037.html

The millennials conscience: East Timor – A reflection

USM Free Press - February 23, 2016

Bryer C. Sousa – Following Hillary Clinton's recent invocation of the former National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, under President Nixon and President Ford, during the most recent Democratic debate, it felt morally obligatory to reflect upon the genocide that began in East Timor, while the Machiavellian Kissinger served as Secretary of State.

If one were to walk around Portland, or any other metropolitan hub for that matter, and ask a resident if they knew of a tiny country called East Timor, it is reasonable to presume that few would know of the territory, let alone our governments role in the tragedies that took place there following Indonesia's invasion during the month of December, 1975.

The brutal occupation lasted until October of 1999 and resulted in the mass slaughter of an estimated 200,000 East Timorese, one-third of the total population of East Timor, through the use of army massacre and enforced starvation. Not only were ninety percent of the weapons used by the Indonesian military provided by the United States, but Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and President Gerald Ford also provided the Indonesian ruler, General Suharto, their blessing as Suharto informed them of his intentions with East Timor on December 6, 1975 (the day before Indonesia launched its assault on the sovereign nation of East Timor).

Even though we are unable to undo the past actions, it is of vital importance that we acknowledge our own role and complicity in the mutilation of the East Timorese during the annexation and forced "integration" of East Timor, by owning up to our moral responsibilities and therefore providing the nation with sufficient reparations. What is even more inconceivable is the fact that those people were made to endure one of the worst genocides of the twentieth century because they were attempting to pursue their right of self-determination, after they declared their independence from Portugal, that had been granted to East Timor by the United Nations as well as the International Court of Justice.

Indeed, one can quickly begin to bare witness to how ironic, as well as sickening it is that during the conflict that resulted in indiscriminate death and despair of the people of East Timor, President George Bush would proclaim "we pride ourselves, and I think properly so, in standing up for human rights" while President Bill Clinton later explained "I'm very concerned about what's happened in East Timor. We have ignored it so far in ways that I think are unconscionable," though he must have been aware that we did not just simply ignore "what's happened."

Bernie Sanders was correct in asserting "I happen to believe that Henry Kissinger was one of the most destructive secretaries of state in the modern history of this country," after Clinton illustrated her fondness for him. Senator Sanders is not only correct because Kissinger continually provided diplomatic and military support to Indonesia as they carried out extermination, but also because Kissinger backed the covert bombing crusade against Cambodia and Laos, known as "Operation Menu," between 1969 and 1970, among many additional war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Source: http://usmfreepress.org/2016/02/23/the-millennials-conscience-east-timor-a-reflection/

Oil, spies and sea cucumbers: East Timor takes on Australia

Melbourne Age - February 21, 2016

Daniel Flitton – Not one senior Australian politician has visited East Timor since the Coalition won power in 2013, a dramatic illustration of just how tense the stand-off between the two countries has become. Every other close neighbour has had an Australian minister drop by their capital in the same period, most several times. It's the usual way high-level diplomacy is done.

But the Foreign Affairs department confirmed to Fairfax Media that since Labor's then minister for international development melissa Parke travelled in August 2013, the VIP lounge in Dili has been quiet, at least for Australian political leaders.

Of course, there has still been plenty of talk over the years since – just about matters governments typically prefer to keep quiet. Secret even.

East Timor has dragged Australia off to the international court after uncovering evidence of espionage during a Howard-era deal to divvy up the oil and gas fields in the Timor Sea. Australian spies, posing as aid workers, are alleged to have bugged the cabinet room of the East Timor government. Australia tried dispatching a special envoy to get relations back on track, but the impasse remains.

But where does it stand now, and why the angst?

East Timor's Prime Minister Rui Araujo has written directly to Malcolm Turnbull in recent weeks, appealing for fresh negotiations on a permanent maritime boundary. East Timor's ambassador Abel Guterres also hinted during a conference in Melbourne last week that the espionage case could be dropped if a boundary can finally be agreed.

The issue of where to draw the line is deeply intertwined with East Timor's long struggle against Indonesia's brutal 1975 takeover, and recriminations over Australia's subsequent willingness to deal with Indonesian occupiers.

After independence, East Timor and Australia did agree to a series of treaties that put aside the question of where to draw the line until 2057 and instead divided the so-called "Timor Gap" – the space south of East Timor in between Australia's agreed maritime boundary with Indonesia. Australia argued this allowed oil and gas fields to be quickly exploited for the economic benefit of the new nation, without going through years of tedious negotiations.

East Timor got 90 per cent of the "Joint Petroleum Development Area" and a 50:50 split of the more lucrative, but never developed, "Greater Sunrise" field, which Australia claims sits mostly within its territory. East Timor has since amassed a $16 billion petroleum fund, with interest largely funding the national budget. But East Timor now insists it got a raw deal, and not just because of the alleged eavesdropping.

"Australia did all it could to shove that treaty at East Timor," Guterres said, dispensing with usual diplomatic niceties. The new nation was ill-prepared to negotiate such complex arrangements, with claims it has missed out on at least $5 billion, and wants the 50-year moratorium on drawing the maritime boundary lifted.

So why is Australia resisting?

Australia is often accused of simple greed. But the official response is that a formal delineation might not be as generous to East Timor as the existing arrangements. And there is another often overlooked complexity in the shape of the far longer maritime boundary with Indonesia.

"If Australia was to enter into a favourable maritime boundary arrangement with East Timor in the Timor Sea," explains Donald Rothwell, one of Australia's leading international law scholars, "that might prompt Indonesia to come back and say, well look, there are seabed boundaries that we negotiated in the 1970s, those sea boundaries do not currently reflect international law... accordingly we'd like to renegotiate those boundaries."

The problem comes down to sea cucumbers. Australia has a seabed boundary with Indonesia that divides everything on and under the sea floor. Australia has another line with Indonesia that divides everything in the water column. Where these lines overlap, Indonesia gets all the fish, Australia any minerals and hydrocarbons under the sea floor.

But as Andi Arsana from Gadjah Mada University in Jakarta points out, a sea cucumber is a sedentary creature plonked on the bottom, and any Indonesian fisherman who happens to catch one in the overlapping zone is technically violating Australian sovereignty.

The confusing separate lines are the product of changes over time to the law of the sea. East Timor insists the boundary dispute should be settled by the modern arrangements, with a median line between the countries, which came into force in the 1980s (although Australia exempts itself from any international dispute resolution on maritime boundaries).

Indonesia has never formally ratified the old arrangements with Australia, although in practice they are respected. "Indonesia really has kept its options open in that regard," says Rothwell. East Timor might share only 2 per cent of Australia's maritime boundary, but Indonesia shares far more.

Meanwhile, Indonesia and East Timor have started talks to settle maritime boundaries, and that rapprochement hasn't gone unnoticed. Or that Chinese warships just paid their first visit to Dili.

So what has Labor pledged?

Enter Tanya Plibersek, shadow spokeswoman on foreign affairs, who this month promised a Labor government would hold "good faith" negotiations with East Timor and should this fail, submit Australia to international adjudication. "The maritime boundary dispute has poisoned relations with our newest neighbour. This must change, for their sake, and for ours."

It's a rare break in the usual cosy consensus between the political parties on foreign policy. Some activists doubt Labor's sincerity, and the Coalition has questioned the role of former MP Janelle Saffin driving Labor's policy change at the party's national conference last year, given she also worked as a legal adviser to the East Timor government. Liberal senator David Fawcett also wants to know whether Labor sought an official briefing on "unintended consequences" of fresh negotiations.

What is clear for now is the dispute isn't going away, and almost 50 years would be a long time to wait for resolution.

Source: http://m.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/oil-spies-and-sea-cucumbers-east-timor-takes-on-australia-20160218-gmxrht.html

Strained relations with our newest neighbour

Huffington Post - February 16, 2016

Tanya Plibersek – Australia regularly calls on other countries to abide by international laws and norms to settle disputes. On whaling, on the settling of international trade disputes, and in the 1970s on French nuclear testing, we insist others play by the rules.

The rules-based international order has brought so much benefit to our country, and we should act to maintain and support that system.

On the overlapping maritime claims in the South China Sea, we urge all parties to abide by both the terms and the spirit of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

We are not disinterested observers to the evolving tensions in the South China Sea. One-third of the world's shipping, and 60 percent of our own exports, transit through these waters. In dollar terms, nearly US$5.3 trillion in total trade passes through the South China Sea each year. We have a national interest in defending freedom of navigation – and in upholding the international system of laws and accepted behaviours.

If we want to insist that other nations play by the rules, we also need to adhere to them. Australia has a good record of acting in defence of this system, but not a flawless one. Timor-Leste suffered decades of war and starvation before gaining independence. Australia played a key role in securing that independence – a proud moment for our nation. But the maritime boundary dispute has strained relations with our newest neighbour.

Australia's unwillingness to commit to maritime border negotiations with Timor-Leste has raised valid questions about our commitment to a rules-based international system and to being a good global citizen.

This must change. Labor in Government will immediately commence discussions on a voluntary, binding international resolution for a permanent maritime boundary between Australia and Timor-Leste. It is in the national interest of both countries that we do so. And importantly, by committing to freely participating in it, Labor's proposal is in the interests of the international system itself.

We are seeking to end more than 40 years of uncertainty over a maritime border, and committing to international norms that we expect others to follow. Through bilateral negotiation, or if necessary, with the assistance of the International Court of Justice or a binding international arbitration, we want to fairly and finally settle this matter.

This is a top-of-mind issue for the people of Timor-Leste. They are disappointed that a country that supported them so greatly in their struggle for independence has, in their view, delayed coming to the negotiating table on sea boundaries.

Respecting the international rule of law, including UNCLOS, must inform the basis of our discussions with Timor-Leste about the future of the Timor Sea. Only this way will we be able to deliver border security and economic certainty for both Timor-Leste and Australia.

When I met Minister Xanana Gusmao in March 2015, he did not ask for charity for Timor-Leste – he asked for fairness. That is what Labor's proposal is about.

[Tanya Plibersek is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development.]

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/tanya-plibersek/strained-relations-with-our-newest-neighbour_b_9234186.html

How far is fair enough? New moves in Timor Gap's 40-plus years of boundary battles

The Interpreter - February 15, 2016

Tanya Plibersek's announcement committing a future Labor government to good faith negotiations over a maritime boundary with Timor-Leste, with international dispute settlement in reserve, represents a significant shift in the status quo. The position was foreshadowed by a motion passed at last year's ALP Conference, sponsored by former MP and long-time advocate Janelle Saffin.

Many Australians remain unaware that Australia and Timor-Leste have no settled maritime boundary. Instead, a complex series of revenue-sharing agreements has allowed some oil and gas developments to proceed in the Timor Gap.

The original gap was created in 1972, when Portugal – then the colonial power –refused to sign on the 'continental shelf' border principles negotiated between Australia and Indonesia, preferring to await the international process which resulted in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, in 1982. Since UNCLOS, the standard international practice has been for maritime boundaries to be established at the median point between nations.

In 1989, Gareth Evans famously sealed a deal with Indonesia for joint exploitation of oil and gas in the Timor Gap and for 50-50 revenue-sharing in the 'Zone of Cooperation.' Portugal challenged that treaty in the International Court of Justice, but the action lapsed in the face of Indonesia's refusal to recognise the court's jurisdiction.

With the restoration of East Timorese independence in May 2002, these arrangements had to be renegotiated. In the meantime, Australia had acceded to UNCLOS in 1994. With the exception of Timor-Leste, Australia has since settled maritime boundaries on median line principles with its other neighbours, including New Zealand in 2004. These have been concluded by negotiation. Leaving aside a few mutually agreed tweaks for outlying islands and reefs, the principle of equidistance has prevailed in each.

Timor-Leste stands as the sole exception. In March 2002, two months before East Timorese independence, Australia withdrew from the maritime boundary dispute resolution procedures of UNCLOS, and the equivalent jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice. These unilateral actions left Timor-Leste without the option of international arbitration.

As well as apportioning revenues between the two states, the most recent of the treaties between Timor-Leste in Australia delay maritime border negotiations for 50 years, or five years after any future exploitation of the Greater Sunrise gas fields ceases.

In 2014, relations between the two states deteriorated, following allegations from a former ASIS operative that Australian intelligence spied on the East Timorese negotiating team in 2004, to secure a commercial advantage in revenue-sharing talks. Especially damaging was the allegation that the exercise involved planting listening devices under the guise of an aid project to renovate government offices. Timor-Leste now seeks to have the CMATS treaty nullified under the wider principle, codified under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, that negotiations should take place in good faith.

As others have noted, though a median line resolution would clearly increase Timor-Leste's share of revenues in the Joint Petroleum Development Area (JPDA), the situation with Greater Sunrise is more complicated, owing to questions over the placement of the lateral (or side) boundaries; questions which would then involve Indonesia. An improved share of revenues, as DFAT maintains, is not guaranteed.

But such questions may soon become less hypothetical. Indonesia and Timor-Leste recently agreed upon a schedule of talks for 2016, to determine some small remaining sections of their land border, and the much larger issue of sea boundaries. This negotiation will start with the less controversial northern seas, but will eventually discuss the southern sea boundaries. A lateral boundary for their existing territorial waters is a potential outcome.

Though the oil and gas revenue is critical to the Timor-Leste economy, it is far from the sole question for Dili, where Labor's new policy position will be welcome. In the wake of a 24-year fight for its independence, the unresolved maritime border issue has become totemic issue of national sovereignty, a position which unites their major political parties, and appears to have strong support in the wider Timorese society. Declining gas prices, depleting revenues in the JPDA, and separate technical disputes stalling the Greater Sunrise project only tilt considerations further toward those of national sovereignty.

The shift in Labor's stance casts a spotlight on the Australian government position, which no longer represents a bipartisan consensus. There is little question that a negotiated settlement of maritime boundaries, if it reflected median line principles, would remove the major irritant in the relationship for good. It's worth noting that in 1998, a dramatic shift in Labor's position on East Timorese independence from opposition, led by Laurie Brereton, proved to be significant, ending bipartisan support for Indonesia's forced integration of the territory.

Today, the Turnbull government will also be mindful of the court of public opinion. Beyond the damaging spying controversy, the status quo presents a difficult sales job, given the simplicity of median line principles, and the complexity of revenue arguments, which are in any case hypothetical.

Source: http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2016/02/15/How-far-is-fair-enough-New-moves-inTimor-Gaps-40-plus-years-of-boundary-battles.aspx

East Timor: Concession is the price for a rules-based order

The Interpreter - February 15, 2016

The shift in Labor's position in regard to Australia's long running maritime border dispute with East Timor will likely appeal to diplomatic conventions and notions of equity but, of greater significance, the new policy is also consistent with promoting Australia's long-term geopolitical interests.

Deputy Labor leader and shadow foreign minister, Tanya Plibersek, announced last week that Labor had dropped its longstanding refusal to allow independent adjudication, according to established principles of international law, in the long-running dispute.

The over-arching principle that Australian leaders of all political stripes have used to describe Australia's Asia-Pacific policy is maintaining a 'rules-based order'. Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and Julie Bishop (under two prime ministers) have all employed this turn of phrase. In Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's recent address in Washington, he reminded his audience that 'the US-anchored rules-based order has delivered the greatest run of peace and prosperity this planet has ever known.' Its preservation is therefore 'a consistent and absolutely central objective'.

Positioning itself as defender of a rules-based order has allowed Australia to criticise the US and China, as the two largest maritime powers in the region, wherever their actions depart from predetermined legal constraints. Australia has consistently admonished the US for failing to ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as a valuable tool in the face of growing maritime tensions. In his Washington address, Turnbull asserted that: 'Non-ratification diminishes American leadership where it is most needed.'

Likewise, Australia's concern about growing Chinese dominance in the South China Sea has been framed as a breach of territorial rules mandated by UNCLOS, while it has supported arbitration to determine disputed island claims according to established principles of international law. In essence, Australia demands that these powerful states set aside parochial interests and instead adopt a longer time horizon that recognises national interests in constructing a robust legal order.

In this context Australia's continued obstruction of East Timorese maritime claims is revealed as both incoherent and self-defeating.

The international legal system doesn't sit under a government capable of enforcing the law, but rather requires reciprocity between countries. Australia followed that dynamic in 2014 when the ICJ ruled it must cease spying on East Timor, but that same month ruled in Australia's favour by ordering Japan to cease whaling in the Southern Ocean. This draws fresh attention to Turnbull's Washington statement that 'to enjoy the rewards of a rules-based order and the stability that it delivers, we must also share the responsibilities that come with it'.

East Timor inherited its maritime boundary from a 1972 agreement between Indonesia and Australia under which the latter argued that, because its continental shelf jutted far into the Timor Sea, it had territorial rights to nearly the entire area. This departs from the presumption under international law of drawing equidistant maritime lines. Crucially, two months before East Timor gained independence in 2002, Australia withdrew from the jurisdiction of both the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea for 'any dispute concerning or relating to the delimitation of maritime zones'.

It is certainly legal for any country to establish reservations on ICJ or ITLOS jurisdiction, but Australia has itself set the objective of strengthening regional rules and architecture. That includes not only the UNCLOS regime, but also the Trans-Pacific Partnership and key multilateral economic forums. Demanding US and Chinese fidelity to a rules-based order rings hollow when Australia refuses to grant the same toward one of its least powerful neighbours. As emphasised by Plibersek, advancing order requires that Australia 'urge all parties to abide by both the terms and the spirit' of international law.

Both US and Australian resistance to fully embracing UNCLOS is motivated by various concerns that include access to mineral resources in the continental shelf. Australian policy is specifically designed to prevent East Timor claiming rights through legal mechanisms, thereby leaving the matter to be determined by the distribution of political power. Yet the Australian case represents an even more naked power grab than the Americans. While US presidents have largely supported ratification, but been blocked by Congress, Australian policy reflects calculated political judgements.

By accepting arbitration or waiving reservations to adjudication, Australia potentially reduces its slice of an estimated $40-$100 billion in Timor Gap resources. Yet there are much more consequential stakes attached to upholding a rules-based order in the region as a whole. In the South China Sea alone, 60% of Australia's exports and over $5 trillion in annual global trade depend on China's respect for freedom of navigation rules. Australians should heed the words of President Eisenhower that 'it is better to lose a point now and then in an international tribunal, and gain a world in which everyone lives at peace under a rule of law.'

Plibersek explicitly recognised the underlying strategic calculation in concluding that upholding international law 'is in the interests of the system itself that has delivered so much for Australia.' There is no illusion that the international legal system is capable of displacing the realities of geopolitics. The Asia-Pacific strategic environment will be shaped by the Sino-US power contest for the foreseeable future. But persistent recognition that rules are capable of bringing order to that contest will require bipartisan commitment to investing real political capital in the international legal order.

Source: http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2016/02/15/East-Timor-Concession-is-the-price-for-a-rules-based-order.aspx

East Timor border: Be careful what you wish for

The Lowy Interpreter - February 11, 2016

Labor shadow foreign minister Tanya Plibersek has committed a future Labor government to negotiations with the Timor Leste government to reach a permanent maritime border between our two countries, and undertaken to hand the issue over to UNCLOS arbitration if an agreement cannot be reached.

This might seem a sensible way to go. The East Timorese have certainly been victims of some awful history. They are poor and we are rich. An equidistant border seems intuitively fair. Our bumbling Inspector Cousteau spying efforts are an ongoing national disgrace.

But there is a fair bit of misunderstanding about the relevant geography. Popular commentary sees the central issue as an equidistant border. Typical is Tom Allard, who writes about this often in the Sydney Morning Herald:

"If the boundary was drawn midway between East Timor and Australia – as is standard under international law – most of the oil and gas reserves would lie within Timor's territory."

As a geographical fact about known petroleum resources, this is wrong. Look at the map showing the location of the main oil resource – Greater Sunrise – with estimated revenues of $40 billion. Some 80% of this undeveloped field is to the east of the Joint Petroleum Development Area (JPDA). Shifting the boundary to equidistant still leaves 80% of Sunrise in Australian territory.

True, Timor would then have 100% of the JPDA revenue from resources that lie north of an equidistant border, but at the moment they receive 90% of the revenue from resources currently being exploited, and under the existing agreement would receive 50% of the overall Sunrise revenue (not just the part of Sunrise which lies in the JPDA).

For Timor to get a larger share of Sunrise, the border on the east side of the JPDA would have to be shifted eastward. Of course that would have to involve Indonesia: the eastern edge of the JPDA is based on equidistance between Timor and the Indonesian islands to the east of Timor. But why would Indonesia agree to such a shift? Sunrise is closer to Indonesia than it is to Timor.

If this issue goes to UNCLOS and the East Timor/Australia border is shifted to equidistant, Indonesia will probably demand that its border be shifted to equidistant.

The same arguments apply in this case: that border was decided at a time when Indonesia was weak and Australia was strong. At that time, a border based on the continental shelf was normal, but now the fashion has changed so the UNCLOS arbitrators, unable to decide in the more common case where the continental shelf is not well defined, take the easy way out and settle for equidistant. That would put 80% of Sunrise in Indonesian territory and it seems unlikely that Indonesia would give Timor any share of the revenue.

Is this such a bad outcome? After all, Indonesia has many more poor people than Timor has. But it may not be what the Labor Party has in mind.

Source: http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2016/02/11/East-Timor-border-Be-careful-what-you-wish-for.aspx

Witness K must be freed

Crikey Insider - February 3, 2016

One of the most startling cases of a government using the fig leaf of national security to protect its own interests is happening right before our eyes – and it should have Australians up in arms.

Yesterday, the ABC revealed that Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had intervened, on national security grounds, to prevent a former ASIS agent from having his passport returned. Witness K as he is known, is the former intelligence agent who revealed that ASIS had bugged East Timor government in 2004. The then-Howard government ordered the bugging to gain advantage over East Timor in negotiations over resources in the Timor Sea.

Whatever the dubious morality of Australia cheating a struggling micro-state, the bugging was plainly illegal under Australian law. In contrast, Witness K revelation of the operation was entirely legal.

But while ASIS and its then director have entirely escaped scrutiny for this crime, Witness K has been raided by police and ASIO and had his passport taken, in order to prevent him from travelling overseas to give evidence in East Timor case against Australia in The Hague.

The current head of ASIO has said he has not taken any action on national security grounds against Witness K, making it clear that it the government – not ASIO – that wants Witness K confined to Australia.

This harassment and vilification of a man who has loyally served his country is plainly designed to try to cover up the crime perpetrated by ASIS and the Howard government extraordinary cynicism in seeking advantage over the East Timorese, to the benefit of Australian resources companies.

Source: http://www.crikey.com.au/2016/02/03/witness-k-must-be-freed/