Estafeta: What’s the Deal with the Timor Sea? (Spring 2005)

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"Australia was saying, while Timor-Leste was denying, that a deal had been struck over petroleum resources in the Timor Sea. The apparent agreement would cheat the new nation. ETAN urged the two governments to conduct negotiations based on fundamental international legal principles. ETAN also condemned Australia’s continued pressure through media leaks and other means to force East Timor to concede its oil and gas rights by making a rapid agreement on the Timor Sea." The East Timor ESTAFETA

This page last updated 25 May 2005

The East Timor ESTAFETA
Voice of the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network/U.S.

Vol 11, No 1 Spring 2005

What’s the Deal with the Timor Sea?

http://www.etan.org/estafeta/05/spring/2tsea.htm

Australia was saying, while Timor-Leste was denying, that a deal had been struck over petroleum resources in the Timor Sea. The apparent agreement would cheat the new nation. ETAN urged the two governments to conduct negotiations based on fundamental international legal principles. ETAN also condemned Australia’s continued pressure through media leaks and other means to force East Timor to concede its oil and gas rights by making a rapid agreement on the Timor Sea.

At publication, Timor had not approved the proposal and the details of any agreement had yet to be released. Media reports said that Australia will pay East Timor around US$3.8 billion over the next 30 to 40 years; negotiations over the maritime boundary would be delayed for 60 years. Experts project government revenue from the Sunrise oil and gas at around US$39 billion.

"Why the rush to complete a deal?" asked ETAN Executive Committee member Charles Scheiner. "East Timor will receive sufficient revenues from other oil projects for the next 15 years. Furthermore, the value of Sunrise natural gas will increase over time." [See: The Case for Saving Sunrise http://www.etan.org/lh/misc/04sunrise.html ]

In April, East Timorese NGOs urged their government not to "rush in obtaining an agreement... it is more important that you determine [boundaries] based on international law..." They also asked "the Australian government to return to international dispute resolution processes for maritime boundaries" and to "cease exploration" and new licenses in disputed areas.

see Reported Australia/Timor-Leste Oil Deal "Cheats" East Timorese, Says ETAN: http://www.etan.org/news/2005/05cheat.htm

Timor Sea, Boundaries and Oil page: http://www.etan.org/issues/tsea.htm

ETAN (East Timor and Indonesia Action Network U.S.) - 12 Years for Self-Determination & Justice:
* Home: http://www.etan.org
* Fax Australia, tell it to stop stealing East Timor's resources and future: http://www.etan.org/action/fax/faxaus.htm
* Timor Sea, Boundaries and Oil: http://www.etan.org/issues/tsea.htm
* The ETAN site contains a huge quantity of info on Timor's oil. Simply use the ETAN site's search engine to find it.

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