The Wire

Talks between Australia and East Timor over oil boundaries have stalled again. This week President Xanana Gusmao accused Australia of trying to turn his country into a permanent beggar, saying that Australia is currently collecting a million dollars a day in revenue from areas that are still under dispute. The issue is far bigger in East Timor than in Australia but one man who has devoted millions of his own money to putting it on the agenda is Ian Melrose. The Melbourne businessman has funded a series of ads starring old diggers, designed to shame Australia into giving East Timor its geographical share of oil. He says he’s already planning the next round.

East Timor Action Network