Australia – East Timor relations
Encyclopedia
Australia
and East Timor
(officially named the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste) are near neighbors with close political and trade ties. East Timor, one of the poorest countries in Asia, lies about 610 kilometers northwest of the Australian city of Darwin
and Australia has played a prominent role in the young republic's history. Australia led the military force that helped stabilize the country after it gained independence from Indonesia
in 1999 and has been a major source of aid since.
. Territorial disputes over control of this resource, which some geologists estimate could pump over $10 billion of oil and gas, have colored diplomacy over East Timor, both when it was an Indonesian possession and since. Australia broke with many of its allies and recognized Indonesia's annexation of East Timor in 1976 in what was widely seen by analysts at the time as a quid-pro-quo for a treaty favorable to Australia involving oil and gas exploration in the area. Since East Timor's independence, disputes over how much of a split Dili would receive when the resource is finally developed have been an occasional strain on otherwise close relations.
Australian forces have been stationed in East Timor almost continuously since they first arrived to quell the rioting, disorder and low-level fighting created by the Indonesian military's scorched earth campaign as it withdrew from its former possession in 1999. In addition to being in charge of all military and police operations in East Timor after Indonesia's 1999 withdrawal, Australia landed troops in the country in 2006 to quell ethnic fighting that involved East Timorese police and soldiers. In early 2009, Australian Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon
said his country was willing to keep troops stationed in East Timor for as long as Dili
wants them.
told Indonesia that his government would not oppose an annexation of East Timor in 1975, a decision that quickly proved controversial at home. In October 1975, Indonesian troops poured across East Timor's border with Indonesian West Timor at the town of Balibo
. Among those killed by the advancing Indonesian troops were five Australia-based journalists, who came to be known as the Balibo Five
. Many in Australia and elsewhere were convinced that the murder of the unarmed reporters was intentional. The incident placed East Timor at the top of Australia's international diplomacy agenda and Australia's involvement with East Timor has deepened since independence, especially after the internal conflict in 2006 and the sending of Australian peacekeepers.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
(officially named the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste) are near neighbors with close political and trade ties. East Timor, one of the poorest countries in Asia, lies about 610 kilometers northwest of the Australian city of Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
and Australia has played a prominent role in the young republic's history. Australia led the military force that helped stabilize the country after it gained independence from Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
in 1999 and has been a major source of aid since.
Oil disputes
Large oil and gas reserves lie in the sea between the two countries in an area known as the Timor GapTimor Gap
The Timor Gap is often used to refer to an area of ocean between Timor, Indonesia and Australia. In actuality, it refers to a gap in a seabed boundary which Australia and Indonesia negotiated in 1972 – the part of the line they could not define because, Portugal, who governed East Timor, declined...
. Territorial disputes over control of this resource, which some geologists estimate could pump over $10 billion of oil and gas, have colored diplomacy over East Timor, both when it was an Indonesian possession and since. Australia broke with many of its allies and recognized Indonesia's annexation of East Timor in 1976 in what was widely seen by analysts at the time as a quid-pro-quo for a treaty favorable to Australia involving oil and gas exploration in the area. Since East Timor's independence, disputes over how much of a split Dili would receive when the resource is finally developed have been an occasional strain on otherwise close relations.
Military engagement
Joel Fitzgibbon
Joel Andrew Fitzgibbon is an Australian politician and Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1996, representing the Division of Hunter in New South Wales. From December 2007 to June 2009 he was the Minister for Defence in the Rudd Ministry...
said his country was willing to keep troops stationed in East Timor for as long as Dili
Dili
Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....
wants them.
Aid
In the decade that ends in 2010, Australia is scheduled to have provided over $140 million in direct aid to East Timor.Australian views and activism
Australian Prime Minister Gough WhitlamGough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
told Indonesia that his government would not oppose an annexation of East Timor in 1975, a decision that quickly proved controversial at home. In October 1975, Indonesian troops poured across East Timor's border with Indonesian West Timor at the town of Balibo
Balibo
Balibo is a town in East Timor situated approximately from the Indonesian border. It is located in the subdistrict of Balibo, Bobonaro District....
. Among those killed by the advancing Indonesian troops were five Australia-based journalists, who came to be known as the Balibo Five
Balibo Five
The Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian television networks based in the town of Balibo in East Timor where they were killed on 16 October 1975 during Indonesian incursions prior to the invasion....
. Many in Australia and elsewhere were convinced that the murder of the unarmed reporters was intentional. The incident placed East Timor at the top of Australia's international diplomacy agenda and Australia's involvement with East Timor has deepened since independence, especially after the internal conflict in 2006 and the sending of Australian peacekeepers.