[In an exclusive interview with Channel NewsAsia's Sujadi Siswo, Timor Leste Prime Minister Dr Rui Maria de Araujo discussed plans for reform and the future needs of his people.]
Sujadi Siswo, Dili – Timor Leste, Asia's youngest democracy, is undertaking major reforms after it underwent a peaceful leadership transition in February.
Tom Benner, Dili, East Timor – Following his first 100 days in office, the new prime minister of East Timor marvelled at how the peaceful transition of power from his predecessor stood in stark contrast to the young nation's turbulent past.
Tom Allard – A former Australian Secret Intelligence Service officer and star witness for East Timor in a bitter dispute with the Abbott government over $40 billion in oil and gas revenue is facing criminal prosecution.
Fairfax Media has learned the Australian Federal Police sent a brief of evidence to prosecutors in February following an investigation that lasted 14 months.
Inacia Tamele huddled in the jungle to learn to read, became a campaigner for independence in East Timor, and returned to the jungle to hide when pro-Indonesian militias were hunting her. My name is Inacia Tamele. Now I am a mother but when I was younger I was a campaigner for independence in Timor Leste.
The Hague, Netherlands – East Timor has dropped litigation against its powerful neighbor Australia related to a spying scandal, the United Nations' highest court announced Friday.
The move came after Australia returned documents its agents seized from a lawyer working for the tiny former Indonesian island.
East Timor has officially dropped its case against Australia before the UN's international court of justice, after Canberra returned sensitive documents relating to a controversial oil and gas treaty.
While oil has been the mainstay of East Timor's economy in the past, it is farming that is transforming rural areas and creating a new breed of entrepreneurs.
Businessmen and women are learning to grow and barter seeds from crops like corn, thanks to the help of an Australian Government aid program.
While oil has been the mainstay of East Timor's economy in the past, it's farming that's transforming rural areas and creating a new breed of entrepreneurs. Businessmen and women are learning to grow and barter seeds from crops like corn, thanks to the help of an Australian Government aid program.
Transcript
Eleanor Hall: Oil is a key source of income for East Timor.
For Kirsty Sword Gusmao, being appointed an officer of the Order of Australia is not just a recognition of her life's work, but of another country.
East Timor has signalled it will drop it's secondary legal case against Australia regarding ASIO's raids on the offices of Timor's Australian lawyers, but will recommence the original legal proceedings which prompted the controversial raids.
Daniel Hurst – Timor-Leste is set to resume a formal challenge against an oil and gas treaty that became mired in controversy following claims Australia bugged the cabinet room in Dili to gain the upper hand in negotiations.
Jakarta – Australia expressed disappointment Friday that East Timor will resume a legal battle in the UN's highest court over a controversial oil and gas treaty between the two countries, and vowed to "strongly defend" its case.
Yohanes H. Douglas, Jakarta – Citilink Indonesia, the budget airline of Indonesia's flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, has struck an agreement with Timor Leste's only airline, Air Timor, to add a flight from Bali to Dili.
Dili (Timur Leste) – Vice Minister for Commerce, Industry and Environment, Constancio Pinto, said on Thursday that he appreciated the support from the Vietnamese Government for Timor-Leste's candidacy for membership in ASEAN.
Speaking to Vietnam News Agency (VNA) in East Timor, he voiced his hope that Timor-Leste would join the bloc in the next two years.
Jakarta – Up to 12 regencies with 88 districts in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) are located in areas bordering Timor Leste and Australia, head of NTT Boundary Agency Paulus Nasehat said Wednesday.
Nasehat explained that five of the 12 regencies that had land borders with Timor Leste were Belu, Malaka, Timor Tengah Utara, Timor Tengah Selatan and Kupang.
Sara Everingham – East Timor is reviving its attempt to nullify a multi-billion-dollar oil and gas treaty with Australia on the grounds Australia spied on Timorese officials during the treaty negotiations in 2004.
Tom Allard – An espionage operation by Australia's foreign spy service underpins a new bid by East Timor to establish a maritime boundary between the two countries and gain a bigger share of the lucrative Timor Sea oil and gas fields.
Jakarta – People are living miserably in areas that border with Timor Leste and Australia, the head of the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Boundary Agency, Paulus Nasehat, said on Wednesday.
Aside from being faced with poor household economies, access to education and health was also limited, Manehat said in Kupang as reported by Antara news agency.
Tom Clarke – As the Timorese celebrate their 14th "Restoration of Independence Day" this week, it is once again Australia's self-interest that prevents their long struggle for sovereignty from being complete.
Djemi Amnifu, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara – East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle four cars, 27 motorcycles and fuel to Timor Leste on Thursday.
NTT Police spokesman Adj. Comr. Agus Santosa said that the confiscated vehicles and fuel had been secured at the Belu Police headquarters.
Luh De Suriyani, Denpasar – The first state-facilitated reunions of family members long separated from each other are to begin on Monday in Dili and a few other areas outside Timor Leste's capital.
Luh De Suriyani, Denpasar, Bali – The first state-facilitated reunions of family members long separated from each other are scheduled to be held this week in Dili and a few other areas outside Timor Leste's capital.
London (Amnesty International/Pacific Media Watch) – Dozens of individuals have been arbitrarily arrested and tortured or otherwise ill-treated by Timor-Leste security forces as part of security operations in the Baucau district. There are ongoing concerns for their safety, says Amnesty International.
Philip Dorling – The Australian and United States governments knew Indonesia was prepared to use napalm against the people of Timor Leste but made no protest, according to secret documents unearthed by an Australian researcher.
Jakarta – A majority of Timor Leste's population and a sizable proportion of the country's elite have come to terms with the past and look forward to engaging more with Indonesia after the two nations' difficult relationship in the past, says Timor Leste's Defense and Security Minister Julio Tomas Pinto.
Jakarta – Indonesian Military commander Gen. Moeldoko and National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti are scheduled to visit the Indonesian-Timor Leste border in Atambua, Belu regency, East Nusa Tenggara on Thursday.
The visitors want to have a close look at the condition of the border area, Regiment 161/Wirasakti spokesman Maj. Arwan said.
Daniel Hurst – The Timor-Leste government has praised a decision by the Australian government to return documents about past spying that were at the centre of raids by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio) in 2013.
Sara Everingham – Australia has agreed to return documents seized during an Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) raid on the office of a lawyer representing East Timor's government in a spying case.
Paulina Quintao – The President of Women Parliamentarian Group Timor-Leste (GMPTL) MP Josefa Alvares Pereira Soares urges the VI Constitutional Government to strengthen some existing laws to address the issue of polygamy in the country.
Balqis Jamaludin, Kuala Lumpur – Timor Leste is ready to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) anytime, says Ambassador to Malaysia, Jose Antonio Amorim Dias.
Fedina S. Sundaryani, Jakarta – A study conducted by the Education Sector Analytical and Capacity Development Partnership (ACDP) has found that across Indonesia, about one in 10 teachers does not show up to teach.
Angela Macdonald-Smith – Japanese oil and gas producer Inpex Corporation has written down the value of its Kitan oil field in the Timor Sea after the plunge in crude oil prices, signalling the decline in the outlook for one of the few petroleum fields providing revenue for Timor-Leste.
Singapore – Timor Leste's bilateral cooperation with China is increasing and it has been an "important development partner" since the country became independent, but new prime minister Rui Maria de Araujo said he does not see problems of any sort coming up from this.
Singapore – Indonesia's state-owned Pertamina is seeking up to 9,600 kilolitres, or more than 60,000 barrels, of diesel and gasoline for delivery into Timor Leste, a tender document showed on Friday.
Daniel Flitton – East Timor's independence hero Xanana Gusmao has revealed he knew Australia was secretly spying in the tiny nation years before hauling Canberra before the international court for espionage.
Canberra – Timor-Leste's former leader Xanana Gusmao has again warned Australia that his fledgling nation will not back away from a dispute between the two countries over lucrative oil reserves below the Timor Sea.
Inequality and poverty and not religion and extremism are the biggest drivers of conflict in fragile countries, East Timor's independence hero warns.
Former prime minister and president Xanana Gusmao believes there are lessons for world leaders to learn from his nation's road to stability that can be applied to current conflicts.
East Timor's former leader Xanana Gusmao has attacked Australia for hypocrisy over maritime boundary disputes. The two nations are at loggerheads over plans to develop the Greater Sunrise gas field in the Timor Sea.
Peter Klinger – The Timor-Leste Government has floated the prospect of buying Woodside Petroleum out of the giant Sunrise gas project, as the fledgling South East Asian gets increasingly impatient at the hold-up to what it hopes will becomes an economy-transforming development.
Woodside Petroleum is looking at options to develop the Sunrise liquefied natural gas project but says the East Timorese and Australian governments need to first agree on terms.
Simon Roughneen, Dili – Just three weeks into his new job, Rui Araujo, East Timor's new prime minister, faces the daunting task of filling the shoes of a national icon, Xanana Gusmao.
Estevao Nuno – National Member of Parliament MP Virgilio da Costa Hornai, President of Commission F (for health, education, culture, sports, veteran affairs and gender equality) called for the Ministry of Education (ME) to conduct an urgent assessment to all universities to determine those still using Bahasa Indonesia as the language of instruction.
Lyndal Rowlands, United Nations – In Timor-Leste, the gap between rich and poor is most keenly felt by rural women and children. But while women are working hard to help rebuild Timor-Leste, their contributions are not always recognised, in a country where men's narratives still heavily dominate.
Courtney Sherwood – An Oregon woman arrested on a drug charge while traveling in East Timor last September and who has maintained her innocence, has been allowed to leave the country after six months of diplomatic negotiations, US Senator Ron Wyden said on Tuesday.
Mong Palatino – East Timor's new prime minister, Dr Rui Maria de Araujo, appealed for unity as a way to build a more inclusive and tolerant society. Araujo became the head of the Sixth Constitutional Government after former Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao resigned last month.
Philip Dorling – A former Australian spy remains under police investigation more than 14 months after ASIO controversially raided his home and triggered international legal action by East Timor that humiliated the Australian government.
Bob Howarth, Dili – Timor-Leste's media scene has blossomed and grown successfully in 15 years.
I have watched it grow and was lucky enough to be there on February 29, 2000, when the Timor Post printed its first edition... without a printing press.
Woodside's decision to shelve its Sunrise LNG project has not dented East Timor's desire for the resource to be developed.
Woodside last week walked away from plans to develop the Sunrise gas field off East Timor, citing regulatory and fiscal uncertainty in relation to the five trillion cubic feet resource.
Kim Christian – East Timor's new prime minister has rejected Woodside Petroleum's plan to process gas offshore, leaving the $17 billion Sunrise project dead in the water.
RUI Maria de Araujo, who was sworn in to the fledgling nation's top job on Monday, has also outlined his unity government's priority to draw new maritime boundaries with Australia.
Daniel Flitton – East Timor's new prime minister has signalled he will negotiate "in an honest and friendly way" with Australia over shared ocean oil and gas fields, declaring his country does not want charity but only to protect its rights.