The Timor Sea Justice Campaign (TSJC) was an independent campaign made up of concerned individuals of various ages and professions working to bring about a just and prompt resolution to the Timor Sea dispute.
The TSJC was outraged that our (the Australian) Government was unilaterally taking, on average, $1 million a day in Government royalties from oil and gas fields that under International Law were likely to belong to East Timor.
Given the newly independent country, the poorest in Asia, desperately needed revenue to develop and provide its citizens with basic services such as hospitals and schools, the TSJC was stunned by the Howard Government's tactics of brinkmanship that involved preemptively withdrawing from the maritime boundary jurisdiction of the two international arbitration bodies used to settle such disputes; the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
The TSJC believed that East Timor should control all of the gas and oil fields it is entitled to under current international law, by the establishment of permanent maritime boundaries.
The TSJC called on the Australian Government to:
1. Stop unilaterally exploiting contested gas and oil resources in the Timor Sea.
2. Place disputed revenues taken by the Australian Government into a trust fund to be distributed accordingly when the dispute is resolved.
3. Immediately negotiate a permanent maritime boundary with East Timor in accordance with current principles of International Law.
4. Re-submit to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea to settle the dispute by independent arbitration if necessary.
This issue was not about charity, it was about justice. It was not about Australia being 'generous' to East Timor, the issue was about what East Timor was legally entitled to.
The TSJC held numerous protests, media stunts and public meetings. It lobbied politicians and networked with a range of non-government organizations. It helped to mobilize grass-root activists as well as being involved in a multi million dollar advertising campaign!
Although the deal, eventually signed in February 2006, by the Governments of Australia and East Timor did not adequately reflect East Timor's entitlements under International Law, it was a significant improvement and no small feat given the completely unequal negotiating positions.
There is little doubt that the work of the TSJC contributed to the dramatic shift in the Australian Government's position and the TSJC and supporters can be proud in the role they play. |
