East Timor - Australia problematic billion-dollar gas and oil accord
{{date|December  3, 2005}} [[Image:Bumap.gif|right|thumb|Maritime Board Map]]

[[w:Australia|Australia]] and [[w:East Timor|East Timor]] officials signed a billion-dollar gas and oil [[w:accord|accord]], which is necessary because of a current [[w:maritime|maritime border]] dispute between the countries, which covers a major oil field. Although the accord has to be [[w:ratified|ratified]] by East Timor's parliament which is ruled by Fretilin with 55 seats the biggest block in [[w:parliament|parliament]], but all the smaller parties are said to be working together to veto the deal.

In 1975, [[w:Portugal|Portugal]] abandoned East Timor and the people declared self-independence only to be invaded by [[w:Indonesia|Indonesia]] with out any intervention from Australia or the [[w:United States|United States]]. Indonesia then agreed on no formal maritime boards but on a joint exploitation zone splitting profits 50/50. Indonesian rule in East Timor was marked by extreme violence and [[w:brutality|brutality]] and following a [[w:United Nations|UN-sponsored]] agreement between Indonesia, Portugal and the US, East Timor held a [[w:referendum|referendum]] and gained independence, but violent Indonesian sponsored militia took hold. A peacekeeping force (INTERFET, led by Australia) then intervened putting a stop to the violence. The exploitation zone splitting profits was then changed to 60% in favour of Australia, but now a new deal has been proposed 90/10 in favour of Timor. In the mean time Australia has  been accused of profiting by up to 2 billion dollars between the deals by activist groups like http://www.timorseajustice.org/ whose campaigning saw [[w:Woodside Petroleum|Woodside]] suspended oil pumping in the affected area. 

Contemporary [[w:International law|International law]] asserts that the area under dispute belongs to East Timor. Australia has withdrawn from the maritime division of the International Court of Justice, which could have settled this matter, instead opting to try to settle the matter without the court.

The previous deal has caused political infighting within East Timor about why such a smaller percentage was accepted.  

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== Sources ==
{{wikipediapar|East Timor}}
*{{source|url= http://www.etan.org/et2004/april/22/21sbs.htm
|title= SBS Dateline: The Timor Gap (transcript) 
|author= Mark Davis
|pub= http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/
|date= April 21, 2004}}
<!-- Hint: If you are citing BBC News, leave the author blank and put "BBC News" in the "pub" parameter. -->

*{{source|url= http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17442923%255E643,00.html
|title= East Timor oil and gas accord in doubt
|author= Nigel Wilson and Mark Dodd
|pub=the australian
|date=December  3, 2005}}

*{{source|url= http://www.timorseajustice.org/campaign.htm
|title= The Campaign
|author= timorseajustice.org/
|pub=http://www.timorseajustice.org/
|date=2004}}

{{Publish}}

{{archive}}
[[Category:Economy and business]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:East Timor]]
[[Category:Australia]]
[[Category:Oceania]]

[[sv:Australien och Östtimor sluter avtal om energikällor]]
Maritime Board Map

Australia and East Timor officials signed a billion-dollar gas and oil accord, which is necessary because of a current maritime border dispute between the countries, which covers a major oil field. Although the accord has to be ratified by East Timor's parliament which is ruled by Fretilin with 55 seats the biggest block in parliament, but all the smaller parties are said to be working together to veto the deal.

In 1975, Portugal abandoned East Timor and the people declared self-independence only to be invaded by Indonesia with out any intervention from Australia or the United States. Indonesia then agreed on no formal maritime boards but on a joint exploitation zone splitting profits 50/50. Indonesian rule in East Timor was marked by extreme violence and brutality and following a UN-sponsored agreement between Indonesia, Portugal and the US, East Timor held a referendum and gained independence, but violent Indonesian sponsored militia took hold. A peacekeeping force (INTERFET, led by Australia) then intervened putting a stop to the violence. The exploitation zone splitting profits was then changed to 60% in favour of Australia, but now a new deal has been proposed 90/10 in favour of Timor. In the mean time Australia has  been accused of profiting by up to 2 billion dollars between the deals by activist groups like http://www.timorseajustice.org/ whose campaigning saw Woodside suspended oil pumping in the affected area. 

Contemporary International law asserts that the area under dispute belongs to East Timor. Australia has withdrawn from the maritime division of the International Court of Justice, which could have settled this matter, instead opting to try to settle the matter without the court.

The previous deal has caused political infighting within East Timor about why such a smaller percentage was accepted.  

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Economy and business Politics and conflicts East Timor Australia Oceania