Vannessa Hearman and Jose da Costa – In 1995, 18 East Timorese youths sailed illegally to Australia in a small fishing boat. After five nights at sea they reached Australian waters.

Paulina Quintso – The Timorese government has allocated $9 million to support civil society development programs in 2016.

The Coordinator of Aid-Funding for Civil Society, Cabinet of Prime Minister, Joaquim Freitas, said while there would be no funding for new programs in 2016, existing projects would continue to receive support.

Paulina Quintso – Timor-Leste's Women's Network (Rede Feto-RF) organization is working with the Secretary of State for Vocational Training Policy and Employment (SEPFOPE) to provide gender training for youths.

Venidora Oliveira – The President of the Anti-Corruption Commission (KAK), Aderito Tilman, has urged National Members of Parliament to discuss the adoption of anti-corruption laws in the country.

New Delhi (IANS) – India looks forward to the southeast Asian nation of Timor Leste joining the Asean bloc, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Monday.

She said this during a meeting with Timor Leste's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Hermani Coelho da Silva, according to external affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup.

Ali Saikal and Julmiro Isaac Manuel – Timor-Leste is a tiny country of about 1.1 million people, but estimates suggest that up to 150,000 people – 12 per cent of the population – may be affected by extreme drought brought on by the El Nino weather phenomenon.

[This is an edited article based on a story written by Manuel Ribeiro and published on Global Voices Portuguese.]

Since 1963, Australia has been accused of stealing oil from its neighbor, Timor-Leste.

Tom Clarke – This week over 10,000 people descended on Australia's embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste, to demand that the Australian government enter negotiations to finally establish permanent and fair maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea.

Ann Wigglesworth – An estimated ten thousand Timorese protesters besieged the Australian embassy in Dili on 22 March 2016 to protest Australia's refusal to negotiate with East Timor on a permanent sea boundary in the oil- and gas-rich Timor Sea.

Valdy Arief, Jakarta – Students from East Timor calling themselves the East Timor Students Association (Klibur Estudiante Timor Leste, Keustil) held a demonstration in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on the afternoon of Thursday March 24 demanding that Australia withdraw from the East Timor Sea.

Jakarta – East Timorese students are calling on Australia to leave East Timor's territorial waters accusing the Kangaroo Country of too long exploiting and profiting from East Timor's natural wealth.

Peter Theodosiou – One of Australia's closest neighbours, East Timor, is trying to draw Australia into negotiations to redraw the sea boundary between the two countries in the resource-rich Timor Sea.

Paulina Quintso – There are calls for the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MSS) to change the aged payment system as most recipients are unable to walk to collect their benefits.

Venidora Oliveira – The Director of the Human Rights Association (HAK), Manuel Monteiro, has criticized the judicial public defenders service, saying it is not functioning properly.

Cayla Dengate – Every day, more people lend their faces to a viral campaign against Australia.

We – the island nation with a 'she'll be right' mentality – aren't used to being on the receiving end of international discontent but day after day, Timorese people, mostly young, are using social media to send Australia a message: 'Hands off Timor's oil'.

Sara Everingham, East Timor – Thousands of people have protested outside the Australian embassy in Dili, calling for Australia to negotiate a permanent maritime boundary in the Timor Sea.

Helen Davidson – Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Australian embassy in Dili on Tuesday, accusing the Australian government of "illegally occupying" Timor Leste territory by refusing to renegotiate maritime boundaries over oil and gas reserves.

As thousands of people rallied peacefully in front of the Australian embassy in Dili on 22 March, the organizers of the protest issued two statements, one to Australia and one to Timor-Leste. Tetum versions and photos of the protest can be accessed at http://www.laohamutuk.org/Oil/Boundary/CMATSindex.htm#Mar16Demos.

Peter Theodosiou – For the second consecutive month, more than 10,000 East Timorese protested outside Australia's embassy in Dili, calling for a fairer deal on maritime boundaries and a carve-up of oil and gas reserves.

Lindsay Murdoch, Bangkok – More than 10,000 Timorese besieged the Australian embassy in Dili on Tuesday to protest Australia's refusal to negotiate with East Timor on a permanent sea boundary in the oil- and gas-rich Timor Sea.

Paulina Quintso – The Coordinator of Timor-Leste Human Rights Association (HAK), Xisto do Santos, called on the Timor-Leste and Japanese governments to acknowledge sexual crimes committed by Japanese soldiers against Timorese women in World War II.

Huge crowds are expected at protests this week outside Australia's embassy in Dili, East Timor to demand that the Australian Government establish permanent and fair maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea.

Frank Brennan – When Malcolm Turnbull became prime minister six months ago, our Timorese neighbours thought there might be an opportunity to draw a line on the past and to kick start the negotiation of a permanent maritime boundary between Australia and Timor-Leste. For the moment, they find themselves sadly mistaken.

Jakarta – Associacao Dos Combatentes Da Brigada Negra (ACBN), a humanitarian aid organization from Timor-Leste, has denied the allegations presented on a Path message about missing human rights and democracy activist Wiji Thukul. In the message, Wiji is described as a bomb-maker for East Timorese rebels fighting against the Indonesian military.

Tama Salim and Ganug Nugroho Adi, Jakarta/Surakarta – A misleading post by an infamous social media user has sparked outrage among family members and acquaintances of pro-democracy activist and poet Wiji Thukul, who many believe had been the victim of government-sanctioned abductions and whose whereabouts remains unknown to this day.

Tom Allard – The Australian Secret Intelligence Service provided the security advice that denied one of its former spies a passport to travel to a tribunal hearing at The Hague on the grounds he could be "cultivated by a foreign power". The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation usually provides such assessments.

Ross Peake – The lawyer at the heart of the East Timor bugging case has accused the former Labor government of planting listening devices in his Canberra office.

Bernard Collaery revealed the alleged espionage for the first time on Tuesday at a rally outside Parliament House, organised to pressure the federal government to recognise the maritime boundary claim of the poor nation.

Venidora Oliveira – The Prime Minister (PM) Dr. Rui Maria de Araujo said during the launch of the Timorese government's website on maritime boundaries for Timor-Leste that this is another medium that will help the country achieve its permanent maritime boundaries.

Venidora Oliveira – Twenty-nine political parties have registered with the National Commission for Election (CNE) to take part in the 2017 national elections.

Venidora Oliveira – Human Rights and Justice Ombudsman (PDHJ) Silverio Pinto said the organization plans to revise its internal laws as several positions and systems need to be improved and updated.

He explained that in the past the director was responsible for good governance and human rights monitoring, as well as advocacy and civic training.

Lisa: New Zealand has committed peacekeepers to Timor Leste for 13 years and lost five soldiers there.

We still give the country $14 million a year in aid. But the oil's running out. Petroleum revenues have halved in a year and some are concerned the country could be broke inside a decade.

The government of Timor Leste (East Timor) has approved the purchase of the stake owned by Brazil's OIi telecommunications company Timor Telecom, a source from the Timorese government said Thursday in Dili.

Paulina Quintso – Executive Secretary of Human Capital Development Fund (FDCH), Ismenio Martins da Silva, said Timor-Leste still lacks in human resources in the discipline of the natural sciences which he hopes to be able to improve in 2016 through the fund.

Samantha Yap, Dili, Timor-Leste – More than a decade after gaining their independence, the people of Timor-Leste are fighting another battle. This time, there are billions of dollars at stake.

In a series of recent posts on The Interpreter, Stephen Grenville has suggested that if Australia agreed to enter into maritime boundary negotiations with Timor-Leste and, if necessary, allow an international umpire to determine a maritime boundary in the Timor Sea, Timor-Leste would somehow be worse off.

This is a strange assertion given the facts.

On 8 March 2016, Timor-Leste celebrates International Women's Day. This is an important day where we acknowledge the contribution of Timorese women and women from other countries and the challenges they face in achieving gender equality.

Australia took advantage of East Timor's weakness and is now dodging its international obligations over the disputed marine border, a Timorese MP says.

The Australian Governor-General, Peter Cosgrove, has turned down a request by a Timor Sea civil society group to meet during his short tour of Timor-Leste seeking a "frank and open" discussion about the maritime boundary dispute.

There are a couple of issues from the The Interpreter discussion of the maritime border with Timor Leste that merit more exploration. First, the relevance of 'rules-based order'; second, the ASIS spying.Rules-based order

To mark the anniversary of Australian Government's unscrupulous decision to withdraw its recognition of the maritime boundary jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, various protest actions will be held around the world.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate Timor Lorosa'e Journalists' Association (AJTL) in strongly criticizing the defamation suit filed by the Timor Leste Prime Minister against a journalist. The IFJ joins AJTL is calling on the Prime Minister to immediately withdraw the charges and guarantee the Press Law.

Australia has closed the door on reopening talks with East Timor about a maritime boundary dispute and a carve-up of oil and gas reserves.

East Timor Prime Minister Rui Maria Araujo wrote to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull seeking new negotiations.

Sadachika Watanabe, Jakarta – Satisfying your craving for Western-style fast food is getting easier in East Timor.

U.S. chain Burger King plans to double its stable of stores there to around eight or more over the next five years. And Beard Papa, a Japanese chain of cream puff shops, plans to open its first outlet in the Southeast Asian country in March.

Tom Allard – Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has offered to hold "frank and open" discussions with East Timor about the unresolved maritime boundary between the two countries but stopped short of the fledgling state's request for formal and discrete talks to settle the impasse.

Tom Allard – East Timor's president has compared former prime ministers Xanana Gusmao and Mari Alkatiri to the Indonesian dictator Suharto, saying there was "widespread discontent" among the public that their families were benefiting from lucrative government contracts.

Sam King – A large and angry demonstration was held outside the Australian Embassy in Dili on 23 February, against the Australian government's refusal negotiate a permanent international border with East Timor.

John Pilger – Out of a population of almost a million, up to a third were extinguished. Secret documents found in the Australian National Archives provide a glimpse of how one of the greatest crimes of the 20th century was executed and covered up. They also help us understand how and for whom the world is run.

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara – Ferdi Tanoni, an observer of the Timor Sea issue, expressed support to the people of Timor Leste for demanding the establishment of maritime boundaries and for urging Australia to end its occupation of Timor Sea.

Thomas Ora, Dili, Timor Leste – About 3,000 people marched to the Australian embassy in the Timor-Leste capital of Dili on Feb. 23, demanding that the Australian government settle a maritime dispute.

The demonstrators walked 500 meters from the Australian-owned Tiger refueling station to the embassy carrying banners that read "We want justice, we want it now."

Paulina Quintso – The Director of Caucus (Women in Politics) Foundation Paula Corte Real urged women's associations across the 12 municipalities to stand firm and work together to encourage women with potential to take a more active role in national development efforts.