On Monday, East Timor asked the United Nations to begin the process of establishing a permanent maritime boundary with Australia in the Timor Sea. In an email interview, Clinton Fernandes, a professor at the University of New South Wales Canberra, discussed Australia's ties with East Timor and the border dispute.

Lyndal Rowlands, United Nations – Timor-Leste which won independence from Indonesia in 1999 is now engaged in a new struggle with Australia over rights to oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea.

Jakarta – Indonesia's second largest bank by asset, PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), will open a new branch in Timor Leste in an effort to expand business in the young nation, top official of the lender said here on Wednesday.

Venidora Oliveira – Research conducted by the Judicial System Monitoring Program (JSMP) research in 2015 has found that 34% of Timor-Leste girls are victims of sexual violence.

Mark Colvin: Labor's shadow foreign Minister says if the United Nations rules in favour of East Timor in a border dispute and her party wins government, it'll negotiate a new and fair maritime boundary with the tiny state to our north.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) with its affiliates the Timor Leste Press Union (TLPU) and the Timor Leste Journalist Association (TLJA) condemned the actions of the Government of Timor-Leste which has commenced an investigation into a defamation lawsuit against local media.

Thomas Ora, Dili, Timor Leste – Timor-Leste Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo has praised late Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva of Dili, as well as other Catholic clergy, nuns and religious for their "invaluable and unselfish contribution" in helping the country win independence from Indonesia.

Edio Jose Maria Guterres – Movimentu Kontra Okupasaun Tasi Timor (MKOTT or the movement against occupation in the Timor Sea) organised a two-day peaceful protest on 22 and 23 March in what turned out to be one of the biggest concentrations of demonstrators to date in the short history of Timor-Leste.

Matthew Doran and Peter Lloyd – East Timor is taking Australia to the United Nations to solve the dispute over its maritime border under international maritime law.

Tom Allard – East Timor has called in the United Nations to help resolve its bitter dispute with Australia over a permanent sea border in the oil-rich Timor Sea.

Dili – Timor-Leste today launched compulsory conciliation proceedings under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with the aim of concluding an agreement with Australia on permanent maritime boundaries.

The conciliation procedure engages Australia in a formal process conducted by an independent panel of experts, known as the conciliation commission.

Review by Ian Sinclair – "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." The Hammer Blow is the perfect illustration of anthropologist Margaret Mead's famous quote.

Dili and Sydney – Thousands of people recently rallied in front of the Australian embassy in Dili, the seaside capital of Timor-Leste, in probably the biggest demonstration since the tiny country's birth 14 years ago. The protesters were angry at Australia's refusal to negotiate a permanent boundary in the Timor Sea, beneath which lie untold quantities of oil and gas.

Ha Noi – Viet Nam and Timor Leste will intensify their cooperation across politics, economy, investment, trade, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy, and communications.

Transfers from the Oil Fund allowed the 2015 budget in Timor-Leste (East Timor) to post a surplus of US$471.8 million, according to a statement from the Ministry of Finance issued Wednesday in Dili.

It was a colourful, peaceful protest. But it was the biggest rally since the days of the bloody independence referendum in 1999 – and it was directed at the Australian embassy.

Paulina Quintso – Member of the Timorese Parliament MPs have urged the Australian government to resolve a dispute between the two countries over maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea according to international law during the Governor-General of Australia Sir Peter Cosgrove's recent visit. Mps said they wanted a solution that was fair and just for Timorese people.

Venidora Oliveira – PRADET said it plans to build more women's shelters in Baucau municipality in 2016 to assist victims of domestic violence.

David Webster – In the 1990s, the Liberal government maintained close ties with the Indonesian regime that occupied East Timor.

Rutaban Yameen – Up to 30,000 people rallied on 22 and 23 March at the Australian embassy in Dili to protest Australia's theft of billions of dollars in royalties and tax revenue from oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea.

Vannessa Hearman and Jose da Costa – In 1995, 18 East Timorese youths sailed illegally to Australia in a small fishing boat. After five nights at sea they reached Australian waters.

Venidora Oliveira – The President of the Anti-Corruption Commission (KAK), Aderito Tilman, has urged National Members of Parliament to discuss the adoption of anti-corruption laws in the country.

Paulina Quintso – Timor-Leste's Women's Network (Rede Feto-RF) organization is working with the Secretary of State for Vocational Training Policy and Employment (SEPFOPE) to provide gender training for youths.

Paulina Quintso – The Timorese government has allocated $9 million to support civil society development programs in 2016.

The Coordinator of Aid-Funding for Civil Society, Cabinet of Prime Minister, Joaquim Freitas, said while there would be no funding for new programs in 2016, existing projects would continue to receive support.

New Delhi (IANS) – India looks forward to the southeast Asian nation of Timor Leste joining the Asean bloc, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Monday.

She said this during a meeting with Timor Leste's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Hermani Coelho da Silva, according to external affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup.

Ali Saikal and Julmiro Isaac Manuel – Timor-Leste is a tiny country of about 1.1 million people, but estimates suggest that up to 150,000 people – 12 per cent of the population – may be affected by extreme drought brought on by the El Nino weather phenomenon.

[This is an edited article based on a story written by Manuel Ribeiro and published on Global Voices Portuguese.]

Since 1963, Australia has been accused of stealing oil from its neighbor, Timor-Leste.

Tom Clarke – This week over 10,000 people descended on Australia's embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste, to demand that the Australian government enter negotiations to finally establish permanent and fair maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea.

Jakarta – East Timorese students are calling on Australia to leave East Timor's territorial waters accusing the Kangaroo Country of too long exploiting and profiting from East Timor's natural wealth.

Valdy Arief, Jakarta – Students from East Timor calling themselves the East Timor Students Association (Klibur Estudiante Timor Leste, Keustil) held a demonstration in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on the afternoon of Thursday March 24 demanding that Australia withdraw from the East Timor Sea.

Peter Theodosiou – One of Australia's closest neighbours, East Timor, is trying to draw Australia into negotiations to redraw the sea boundary between the two countries in the resource-rich Timor Sea.

Ann Wigglesworth – An estimated ten thousand Timorese protesters besieged the Australian embassy in Dili on 22 March 2016 to protest Australia's refusal to negotiate with East Timor on a permanent sea boundary in the oil- and gas-rich Timor Sea.

Sara Everingham, East Timor – Thousands of people have protested outside the Australian embassy in Dili, calling for Australia to negotiate a permanent maritime boundary in the Timor Sea.

Paulina Quintso – There are calls for the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MSS) to change the aged payment system as most recipients are unable to walk to collect their benefits.

Cayla Dengate – Every day, more people lend their faces to a viral campaign against Australia.

We – the island nation with a 'she'll be right' mentality – aren't used to being on the receiving end of international discontent but day after day, Timorese people, mostly young, are using social media to send Australia a message: 'Hands off Timor's oil'.

Venidora Oliveira – The Director of the Human Rights Association (HAK), Manuel Monteiro, has criticized the judicial public defenders service, saying it is not functioning properly.

Helen Davidson – Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Australian embassy in Dili on Tuesday, accusing the Australian government of "illegally occupying" Timor Leste territory by refusing to renegotiate maritime boundaries over oil and gas reserves.

As thousands of people rallied peacefully in front of the Australian embassy in Dili on 22 March, the organizers of the protest issued two statements, one to Australia and one to Timor-Leste. Tetum versions and photos of the protest can be accessed at http://www.laohamutuk.org/Oil/Boundary/CMATSindex.htm#Mar16Demos.

Peter Theodosiou – For the second consecutive month, more than 10,000 East Timorese protested outside Australia's embassy in Dili, calling for a fairer deal on maritime boundaries and a carve-up of oil and gas reserves.

Lindsay Murdoch, Bangkok – More than 10,000 Timorese besieged the Australian embassy in Dili on Tuesday to protest Australia's refusal to negotiate with East Timor on a permanent sea boundary in the oil- and gas-rich Timor Sea.

Paulina Quintso – The Coordinator of Timor-Leste Human Rights Association (HAK), Xisto do Santos, called on the Timor-Leste and Japanese governments to acknowledge sexual crimes committed by Japanese soldiers against Timorese women in World War II.

Huge crowds are expected at protests this week outside Australia's embassy in Dili, East Timor to demand that the Australian Government establish permanent and fair maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea.

Frank Brennan – When Malcolm Turnbull became prime minister six months ago, our Timorese neighbours thought there might be an opportunity to draw a line on the past and to kick start the negotiation of a permanent maritime boundary between Australia and Timor-Leste. For the moment, they find themselves sadly mistaken.

Jakarta – Associacao Dos Combatentes Da Brigada Negra (ACBN), a humanitarian aid organization from Timor-Leste, has denied the allegations presented on a Path message about missing human rights and democracy activist Wiji Thukul. In the message, Wiji is described as a bomb-maker for East Timorese rebels fighting against the Indonesian military.

Tama Salim and Ganug Nugroho Adi, Jakarta/Surakarta – A misleading post by an infamous social media user has sparked outrage among family members and acquaintances of pro-democracy activist and poet Wiji Thukul, who many believe had been the victim of government-sanctioned abductions and whose whereabouts remains unknown to this day.

Tom Allard – The Australian Secret Intelligence Service provided the security advice that denied one of its former spies a passport to travel to a tribunal hearing at The Hague on the grounds he could be "cultivated by a foreign power". The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation usually provides such assessments.

Ross Peake – The lawyer at the heart of the East Timor bugging case has accused the former Labor government of planting listening devices in his Canberra office.

Bernard Collaery revealed the alleged espionage for the first time on Tuesday at a rally outside Parliament House, organised to pressure the federal government to recognise the maritime boundary claim of the poor nation.

Venidora Oliveira – Twenty-nine political parties have registered with the National Commission for Election (CNE) to take part in the 2017 national elections.

Venidora Oliveira – The Prime Minister (PM) Dr. Rui Maria de Araujo said during the launch of the Timorese government's website on maritime boundaries for Timor-Leste that this is another medium that will help the country achieve its permanent maritime boundaries.

Venidora Oliveira – Human Rights and Justice Ombudsman (PDHJ) Silverio Pinto said the organization plans to revise its internal laws as several positions and systems need to be improved and updated.

He explained that in the past the director was responsible for good governance and human rights monitoring, as well as advocacy and civic training.