To the Hon. Mr. Brendon Nelson MP
Minister for Defence and Leader of the Government in the Senate
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600

cc to:
The Hon. Alexander Downer MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs;
Mr Mr. Kevin Rudd MP, Leader of the Opposition;
Mr Robert McClelland MP, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs

Dear Senator Nelson,

I am writing to request a change in the stance of the Australian Government in regard to its claim over the oil and gas resources in the Timor Sea.

Leaving aside the legalities of the situation which many dispute, it seems clear to us that on moral grounds the position of the Australian Government cannot be justified.

On the one hand Australia enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the world and can afford to offer billions of dollars in tax cuts, mainly for the more well-off in our society whilst one of our nearest neighbours in East Timor is currently one of the poorest in the world where most of the population lack the basic necessities of life.

Even if the conscience of our nation is not swayed by this reality it can also be argued that it is in the interest of us all in the region that East Timor be a healthy and prosperous nation. In order for this to happen, it desperately needs revenues from the Timor Sea. Enabling East Timor to become self-sufficient might also be a better investment in our security than the expenditure of additional hundreds of millions of dollars on defense and security.

The current situation where the Australian Government receives far more revenue from some of the oil fields than we provide in aid programs for East Timor makes any claim to generosity on our part a hollow travesty of the truth. The projected benefits to Australia from the yet to be developed fields, such as the Greater Sunrise field, dwarf the current unjust advantage we have ‘negotiated’ for ourselves. The current issuing of exploration licences by Australia (as recently as 23rd February 2004) in territory that is closer to East Timor than Australia, calls into question any pretence of sincerity on Australia’s part in the recent negotiations.

As an Australian I request that the Australian government:

· Reconsider its obligations to East Timor, our neighbour, on grounds of justice and fairness.

· On these grounds, provide more than fair terms in the current dispute over maritime boundaries, to assist the new nation to be self-sufficient and prosperous, to share our good fortune.

These should include:

· Rejoining the maritime boundary dispute resolution mechanisms of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the International Court of Justice.

· Negotiating a more than fair (to East Timor) maritime boundary, including seabed and water economic zones, with East Timor, according to the principles as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

· Expediting these current negotiations, and refraining from issuing exploration licences until these negotiations are finalised.

We urge your strongest attention to this matter of justice to the some of the poorest citizens of our world.

Yours faithfully,

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