MaubereMuse

It is international knowledge that the oil reserves in the Timor Gap Zone of Disputed Sovereignty are jointly omned by Australia and The East Timorese people. Australia was in negotiations with Portugal, East Timor's administrator, over maritime boundries relating to this region, up to the time of the Indonesian invasion of the territory.

It is no surprise that these resources should come under the scrutiny of the Suharto Regime, well known for its corruption and corporate greed, and that these resources were significant to the decision to invade the Portuguese territory.

The Indonesian government is stealing the resources of the East Timorese. The Australian government is cooperating with the Thief. Australia's de jure recognition of Indonesia's sovereignty over East Timor was a necessary pre-requisite to "positive" negotiations that would facilitate the Australian government's oil grab.

In taking this path the Australian government rejected the legitimacy of the United Nations and Portugal's national rights as administrator of the territory. It chose to support Indonesia's invasion of another country's territory. It has ratified this support through the "Timor Gap Treaty,1989"

The East Timorese Oil Resources

The Timor Gap Zone of Disputed Sovereignty (ZDS) is a 61000sq km area in the Timor Sea that was an unresolved area within the Australian and East Timor maritime boundaries.It is shown in the above map as the green double-coffin shape euphemistically called the Zone of Cooperation (ZOC)

Australia's de jure recognition of Indonesia as East Timor's sovereign power created the opportunity for Australia to more readily secure a share of the oil resources by negotiating the Timor Gap Treaty with Indonesia instead of Portugal.

Two major discoveries have been made so far by oil consortiums that have been granted exploration rights in the ZDS.

The Elang/Kakatua field (estimated to contain up to 55 million barrells of black oil) and the Undan/Bayu gas/condensate field (estimated to contain up to 4.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, 300 million barrells of condensate and 200 million barrells of LPG) are worth noting. The Undan/Bayu field alone, according to an oil industry source, is projected to bring in a gross sales revenue averaging about US$800 million a year for the 30 year life of the project. The Government of Indonesia, the government of Australia, and the oil companies plan to divide this massive revenue between themselves, leaving the rightful partners, the East Timorese, again watching their country's resources being embezzled by the invader, Indonesia.

East Timor's share of this (about US$200 million a year) would be significant in the development of a newly independent nation, and neutralize the Australian/Indonesian joint-government and joint-media propaganda that an independent East Timor would not be economically viable.

Initial production from the Elang/Kakatua field is planned to start in June, 1998. Initial production of condensate and LPG from the Bayu-Undan field is planned to start in late 2001, followed by liquefied gas production in 2004. Further explorative drilling continues. With the addition of six new licence awards, there are now 19 companies exploring the region (Jan'97).

An acceptable international outcome of the sale of these resources, would be that the East Timorese share be held in trust until the East Timorese are granted the right to self-determine their direction as a nation. Of course this won't happen - adding to the already urgent need for a solution that will give the East Timorese access to their resources.

MM>DiliMassacreMemorial MM>Suharto MM>Guardian MM>Incident MM>MaubereMuse MM>CNRM