HANDS OFF TIMOR’S OIL

100 peacebuilders at the United Nations-mandated University for Peace (UPEACE) wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of Australia to urge the government of the Commonwealth of Australia to settle the maritime boundary dispute between Timor-Leste and Australia in good faith, in a peaceful and judicious manner, in compliance with international law and with an equitable result. See https://www.facebook.com/Hands-Off-Timors-Oil-UPEACE-campaign-474611022733547/

PDF of the letter is here

The Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, MP
Prime Minister of Australia
Government of the Commonwealth of Australia
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600

 2 April 2016

Dear Prime Minister Turnbull, 

Greetings of Peace from graduate students of the United Nations-mandated University for Peace (UPEACE) in Costa Rica. We are peacebuilders from 36 countries with a broad range of experience and we believe in peaceful resolution of conflict.

We believe that the dispute between Australia and Timor-Leste in respect of the Timor Sea should be settled in good faith, in a peaceful and judicious manner, in compliance with international law and with an equitable result.

To this end, we urge you, as the head of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia to lead the Government and the people of Australia in formulating and adopting policies that respect the sovereignty and dignity of the Timor-Leste nation, and the rights of Timor-Leste's people.

Specifically, the Government of Australia should:

1. Resubmit to the mechanism of resolving maritime boundary disputes provided by the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea;

2. Open immediately negotiations with the Government of Timor-Leste to agree to a permanent maritime boundary based on the Median Line Principle;

3. Halt appropriation of revenues unilaterally from the Timorese side of the halfway line as it reduces opportunities for good lives for women, children, and vulnerable people in Timor-Leste.

Thank you very much.

Yours sincerely,

Graduate Students at the University for Peace (UPEACE)

(named in the Appendix)

see full list of signers here:

see also

MKOTT's Declarations to the Governments of Australia and Timor-Leste (March 22)

MKOTT: Appeal to the people of Timor-Leste (March 18)

MKOTT: MKOTT Declaration to the Australian Government (February 23, 2016)

TSJC: Protest outside Australia’s embassy in Timor-Leste concerning the ‘occupation’ of the Timor Sea(February 23, 2016)

ETAN's Timor Sea page