Campaign to revoke Timor Gap Treaty launched
By Alex Bainbridge
MELBOURNE — A national petition campaign calling on the Australian government to revoke the Timor Gap Oil Treaty was launched here on August 9. This campaign coincides with a High Court challenge to the Commonwealth government over the validity of the Treaty.
Petroz NL, in association with BHP, is preparing to drill for oil in the Timorese seabed. This has been made possible by Australia's signing of the Treaty. Timorese activists are claiming that not only are these actions by Australia unjust, they are also illegal. Australia is also facing action at the International Court of Justice over the Timor Gap Treaty.
The petition campaign was launched at a well-attended lunchtime meeting at Melbourne University. The speakers were: former ALP MP Tom Uren; ALP MP Lindsay Tanner; Democrat leader Vicki Bourne; Independent MP Phil Cleary; Bishop Deakin; and Cancio Noronhaha from the Timorese Democratic Union (UDT).
Commenting on the meeting, Vanessa Hearman from Aksi — Indonesia Solidarity Action, welcomed the petition campaign and said that Australian people need to support the Timorese campaign for independence by building a strong solidarity movement here. "The Australian government already has a strong position on East Timor — they strongly support the Indonesian occupation. We need to demonstrate our opposition to their actions."