Sister Susan Connelly
This anniversary is tinged with a lot of embarrassment for us as Australians. Despite all East Timor has been through, more often than not with Australian connivance and reluctance to help or tell the whole truth, today the Australian government is once again in the role of spoiler regarding the just sharing of the resources of the Timor Sea.
Many Australians, however, are full of admiration at the courageous stand the people and the government of East Timor are taking over this issue.
Alexander Downer, speaking as the representative of the Australian people in matter of foreign policy, seems peeved and annoyed at the strong stand taken by the Timorese.
He utters the words, "After all we've done for them!"
Well, we've "done for them" all right. We "did for them" in 1941 when we invaded their land as a way of protecting ourselves, and then left them to the anger of the Japanese.
We "did for them" in 1975 with the old "wink, wink, nudge, nudge" to Indonesia's invading forces.
We "did for them" when we officially refused to stand with them or speak for them for the next 24 years.
We "did for them" when we were the only nation to officially recognise Indonesian sovereignty.
And now our representatives are whingeing about what we did do for them at the end of 1999 when we finally came to their aid.
It must be recognised, however, that the expense undertaken by Australia to mount our belated assistance, has been more than paid for — by the Timorese themselves.
What we have taken from the Timor Sea so far has more than paid for our involvement.
One of the worst features of this sorry business is that the Australian people have been led astray by the untruths and falsehoods uttered by our leaders on this subject.
The big lie is that we are "giving" East Timor 90% of the Timor Sea resources, and keeping only 10% for ourselves. They speak of one area as though it was the whole.
If the internationally accepted half-way line was the border, then not only should East Timor receive 90%, but they would be entitled to the other 10% too, because a half-way line would put all the resources in their hands.
On top of this, there are the rich fields on either side of this area, whose ownership should be determined by frequent discussions, with rigorous international scrutiny.
But no. Australia is cutting up most of the cake for itself, and allows Timor a mere slice. As always, we take the biggest cut for ourselves and run off. We've run off by refusing to have an international umpire in negotiations. We've run off by refusing to even discuss the issue with the Timorese more often than twice a year. And they say we don't cut and run!
I was in East Timor in February and I met hungry people, people who can't afford to eat meat, and who told us that they would have a chicken to eat "on happy Christmas". There is grinding poverty in East Timor. Education and jobs are what the people want. They don't want hand-outs or charity. They don't need to be looked after by Australia or the World Bank. They don't want paternalism or dependence when they are entitled to resources of their own.
We here in Australia are worried about our children's obesity while just over there in Timor, children suffer the physical and mental effects of not having enough to eat. We're seriously discussing the effects of bracket creep and who'll get the biggest tax break, while they are struggling to get a dollar a day for a bit of rice, some oil to cook it, and some salt to help it down.
In the so-called "national interest" we are ripping off the poor. May our shame move us all to oppose those who do this in our name.
[Abrdiged from a talk given to the May 20 protest for Timor in Sydney.]
From Green Left Weekly, May 26, 2004.
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