UNITED STATES: East Timor protest hits Howard

John Miller, Washington DC

While media baron Rupert Murdoch toasted Australian PM John Howard at an exclusive business executives' dinner in the US capital on July 18, protesters outside decried his bullying of East Timor over maritime petroleum resources.

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) staged an attention-grabbing demonstration outside the Chamber of Commerce as executives, diplomats, and Howard entered the building for the invitation-only event. The guests were treated to loud cries of "End Australia's Occupation of the Timor Sea!", "Unfair, Unjust and Unlawful!" and, as Howard attempted to slip in unnoticed, "Stop, thief!"

They were protesting the Australian government's theft since 1999 of more than US$1.2 billion in revenue from extracted oil and gas under the Timor Sea. Chants highlighted the Australian government's coercion of the world's newest nation to forego its rights to their resources and maritime territory.

News reports indicate that the two countries will soon sign an agreement that would put off a maritime boundary agreement for as long as 50 years and would split 50-50 royalties from the lucrative Greater Sunrise field (most or all of which would belong to East Timor if the boundary were drawn according to current international legal principles). This unfair "compromise" would deny East Timor billions of dollars and impinge upon its sovereignty.

After withdrawing from international mediation and arbitration mechanisms, Australia has been able to utilise its far greater political and economic power to browbeat East Timor into this agreement.

From Green Left Weekly, July 27, 2005.

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From GLW issue 635