West Timorese should be included in Timor Gap Treaty talks: NGO
West Timorese should be included in Timor Gap Treaty talks: NGO
JAKARTA (JP): The West Timor Care Foundation (YPTB) demanded
on Thursday that West Timorese be included in talks related to
the Timor Gap treaty both at national and international levels.
The group also urges the Australian government to pay US$50
million in compensation per year for a 25-year period to cover
the West Timor people's losses since they have been excluded from
the Timor Gap agreement and to cover rehabilitation costs arising
from the recent impact of the relationship between Indonesia and
Australia.
"The Timor Gap actually belongs to all East Timorese and West
Timorese people. We've been fighting for West Timorese people's
rights for quite some time," foundation chairman Ferdi Tanoni
said.
The group is planning to meet President Abdurrahman Wahid
before his visit to Australia to convey their aspirations about
the matter.
"We are also working on an informal meeting with UNTAET (the
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor) which
will probably be held in Darwin. UNTAET has stated their
willingness to participate," Ferdi said.
Indonesia and Australia signed the treaty in Dec. 1989 to
explore and exploit oil and gas at the border between the two
countries.
Based on the treaty, the Timor Gap was divided into three
zones -- Zone A in which Indonesia and Australia get 50 percent
of the royalties each; the Australia-controlled Zone B in which
Indonesia gets 10 percent of the royalties; and the Indonesia-
controlled Zone C in which Australia gets 10 percent of the
royalties.
The Timor Gap treaty between Indonesia and Australia, however,
expired once the UN granted independence to East Timor after the
ballot results of a referendum of the East Timorese people on
Aug. 30, 1999 were overwhelmingly in favor of independence.
Under the treaty, Australia has enjoyed generous oil and gas
royalty terms.
"West Timor has always been treated as a stepping stone and we
have always been neglected.. at least from the time back in 1975
following East Timor's integration within Indonesia and in 1999
when Australia pushed for East Timor's independence," Aco Manafe,
one of the Foundation's founders, said.
Currently there are some 130,000 East Timorese refugees
residing in West Timor, he said.
"Now the already poor West Timorese, who have already
experienced slow economic growth, have to bear the burden.
"All efforts from the Indonesian government are channeled
toward the refugees, not to the rest of the 3.5 million
population of West Timor (East Nusa Tenggara). Therefore West
Timor wants its share, fair and square," he added. (edt)