Australia rejects idea of taking Timor gap rift to int`l court

Australia has rejected the idea of taking its rift with East Timor over the Timor Gap Treaty to the International Court of Justice, an Australian daily reported on Monday.

It would be better if the differences in opinion are settled at the table, and not by taking legal action, the daily quoted Australian negotiator from the international affairs division of the Attorney General's Office, Bill Campbell, as saying.

Campbell said discussions could save the continuity of the Timor Gap Treaty which was signed by former Indonesian foreign affairs minister, Ali Alatas, and his Australian counterpart, Gareth Evans, in 1989.

The signing of the treaty marked the start of cooperation in offshore oil explorations in the area, involving oil giants from Australia, Britain and the United States.

Meanwhile, the international court might influence investment stability in the oil-rich waters, Campbell said.

He added that this might also lead the two parties to lose their control over the sea boundaries of the area.

He however said that Australia has agreed on the revision of the treaty's portion on the income from the oil exploration in the Timor gap.

Canberra also agreed to make a new agreement to enable East Timor to get a bigger income, the daily wrote.

The daily added that in an effort to maximize its production-sharing income from the gap, the East Timor Resistance Council (CNRT) proposed a new boundary for the Timor Gap Treaty.

The CNRT`s head for economic planning, Marie Al Katiri, last Thursday (June 15) arrived here to convey such wish, following the separation of the former Portuguese colony from Indonesia in September last year.

Three regions were identified in the treaty -- the A-zone, where both Indonesia and Australia share the same amount of royalty (50 percent each); the B-zone which is controlled by Australia, with Indonesia getting only 10 percent of the royalty; and the C-zone which is controlled by Indonesia, with Australia getting only 10 percent of the royalty.

The daily said Canberra would only renegotiate on the income, without changing the international sea boundaries stipulated in the treaty.

It said the East Timorese leaders recognize the present form of the treaty.

Previously, a non-governmental organization (NGO) leader said talks to review the Timor Gap Treaty should involve the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara, the western half of Timor island.

Ferdi Tanoni, chairman of the Foundation for West Timor, said this is due to the fact that the Timor Gap is situated in the East Timor-East Nusa Tenggara-Australia triangle.

The Australian government and the CNRT are currently discussing the review of the treaty. (*)