Jon Lamb – Not much has been publicly revealed about the mid-April negotiations between Australia and East Timor on the maritime boundary. The ABC Four Corners on May 10, however, made it clear that the Coalition government intends to continue to refuse East Timor sovereign control over its territory in the Timor Sea.

Australia's foreign affairs minister, Alexander Downer, claims that the East Timorese government is trying to "shame Australia [and] is amounting abuse on our country ... accusing us of being bullying and rich and so on, when you consider all we've done for East Timor".

Downer's comments are in line with the hard-headed position the Australian government has taken in negotiations since 1999. While the towns and villages of East Timor were still smouldering from the pro-Indonesian militia rampage, the Howard government was pressuring East Timorese political leaders to accept the terms of the now defunct Timor Gap Treaty, which Canberra had negotiated with Indonesia.

East Timor refused, and ever since, the Coalition government has used its substantial diplomatic and economic clout to bully and blackmail. East Timor was pressured into signing the Timor Sea Treaty on May 20, 2002. The treaty unfairly concedes 10% of royalties from the Joint Petroleum Development Area to Australia. The Howard government called this deal "generous".

East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao told Four Corners: "We can't understand Mr Downer, Mr John Howard saying they are being generous to us, we can't. According to international experts and international law, if the maritime border is the median line between the two coast lines, we are the one being generous with Australia. We are giving 10% of what belongs to us to Australia." Since 2000, Downer has also indicated that aid to East Timor from Australia would be reduced if East Timor gained greater control over the rich oil and gas fields in the Timor Sea that lie closer to East Timor.

Yet since 1999, Australia has received in excess of US$2 billion in royalties from the Laminaria/Corallina field, which would belong to East Timor if the maritime boundary was set to international law. The Australian government has taken nearly 10 times as much in royalties as it has provided in official "aid".

By refusing to accept the median line principle for the maritime boundary, the Australian government is attempting to swindle East Timor out of at least US$8 billion in royalties from oil and gas fields in the Timor Sea that lie closer to East Timor than Australia.

In the face of considerable antagonism and delaying tactics by the Howard government, East Timor's prime minister, Mari Alkatiri, has called for a quick resolution of the maritime boundary dispute. "For us, a 20-year negotiation is not an option. Timor-Leste loses [US]$1 million a day due to Australia's unlawful exploitation of resources in the disputed area. Timor Leste cannot be deprived of its rights or territory because of a crime", Alkatiri told Four Corners.

Downer has accused the East Timorese government of trying to "create public controversy in Australia by a lot of emotive criticism" and "strident rhetoric and denunciation of Australia".

His finger pointing is partly accurate. There is considerable public concern about what the Australian government is doing in the Timor Sea. Timor Sea Justice Campaign groups have formed in Melbourne, Sydney and Darwin and are organising public meetings and protests in support of East Timor's sovereignty in the Timor Sea.

As this movement grows in other cities and towns, expect the "strident rhetoric" to come thick and fast from the Howard government and its big business supporters.