Protest planned today against Australian "theft" of Timos oil reserves

Global Peace and Justice Auckland plan a picket outside the Australian consulate at 12 noon today in protest against the Australian government’s abuse of the rights of the people of Timor Leste by seizing control of the oil deposits off the coast.

The protestors will be delivering a letter which calls on the Australian government to “cease its exploitation of oil in the Timor Sea and submit to the International Court of Justice and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea mechanisms in order to resolve its maritime boundary dispute with Timor Leste.”

To maker matters worse the Australian government bugged the Timorese Prime Minister’;s office during delicate stages of the negotiation process to seek additional advantages in the negotiations.

“What we are seeing is the political and economic mugging of one poorest nations on earth by one of the richest,” says GPJA spokesperson Mike Treen. “It is theft of billions of dollars of revenue and is depriving the people of Timor of the resources needed to develop their country after suffering so much in their history. It is a disgrace that must be ended.”