Australia–East Timor relations

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.

Oil disputes

Large oil and gas reserves lie in the sea between the two countries in an area known as the Timor Gap. 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.^[1]

Military engagement

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.^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[4]

Aid

In the decade that ends in 2010, Australia is scheduled to have provided over $140 million in direct aid to East Timor.^[5]

Australian views and activism

Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam told Indonesia that his government would not oppose an annexation of East Timor in 1975,^[6] 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^[7] 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.^[8]

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