4. Australia and East Timor: The Sea Map Scandal
The dispute over the Timor Sea’s lucrative oil and gas reserves has been marked by allegations of espionage and unfair negotiations. In 2004, Australia’s intelligence agency, ASIS, was accused of bugging East Timor’s cabinet office during treaty negotiations, providing Australia with an unfair advantage. This led to East Timor terminating the 2006 CMATS treaty in 2017. Subsequently, in 2018, both nations signed a new maritime border agreement, aiming to resolve the conflict and share the resources equitably (abc.net.au).
