TELL JULIE BISHOP: IT’S TIME TO GIVE TIMOR A FAIR GO

To Foreign Minister Bishop: We call on the Australian Government to finalise a fair and permanent border with East Timor, halfway between our coasts, in accordance with international law.

We call on the Australian Government to finalise a fair and permanent maritime boundary with East Timor - one drawn halfway between our coasts as recommended by international law.

For more than a decade, Australia has treated Timor with disdain. We withdrew recognition of international maritime laws, used our disproportionate power as a wealthy nation, and even spied on previous negotiations using bugs planted during an AusAid project. We bullied a fledgling nation - and a dear friend - out of resources that are rightfully theirs.

Your commitment to negotiate a permanent maritime boundary is an important first step, but we want to see you negotiate with our neighbour in good faith, and in accordance with international law, something that no previous Foreign Minister has done.

We are determined to see an agreement that we can be proud of as Australians. Draw the border halfway between our two countries and treat our neighbour with the respect it deserves.