Roy Eccleston – Senior members of the US Congress have stepped up pressure on the Howard Government to settle the dispute with East Timor over the rights to billions of dollars worth of sub-sea oil and gas between the two countries.

Seventeen members of Congress, mostly Democrats but including some Republicans, have written to John Howard implying that by taking an unfair share of oil and gas fields, Australia was contributing to hunger, poverty and disease in East Timor.

They urged that revenue from fields closer to East Timor be held in a special account, pending a "fair and expeditious" decision on a maritime boundary between the two countries.

"We are concerned by reports of scores of recent preventable deaths in Timor-Leste [East Timor] that have resulted from chronic food shortages and outbreaks of dengue hemorrhagic fever," the March 4 letter to Mr Howard said. "An equitable sharing of oil and gas revenues would enable Timor-Leste to provide better healthcare and other essential services."

A new round of talks is due to be held today in Canberra.