Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says the WikiLeaks exposure of a senior Australian diplomat's description of Timor-Leste as "a burden" underscores a mean and unneighbourly attitude in Canberra.

"This is the region's richest country putting down its poorest neighbour," Senator Brown said today.

"Instead, Australia should be fostering 'special nation' status for Timor-Leste and helping it with education, health, transport and renewable solar power."

Call to have Greater Sunrise plant in Timor Leste

In Darwin today, Greens Leader Bob Brown announced initiatives for Australia to help its poorest neighbour, Timor Leste.

"The Greens campaigned for Timor Leste's freedom during its quarter century of occupation by the Indonesian military forces, and we are now campaigning for more and better aid for the new century's rural and medical wellbeing."

The Greens oppose Julia Gillard's proposal for asylum seekers to be processed in Timor Leste.

The Australian Government is holding back Timor-Leste from developing its own energy security, said Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown.

With Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos Horta in Parliament today, Senator Brown called on the Australian Government to commit to assisting Timor-Leste to develop a clean energy future.

“The Australian Government is not supporting a gas pipeline to connect the Greater Sunrise field to Timor-Leste, which would assist the young nation to develop its own fuel source and related industries,” said Senator Brown.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says the Rudd Government should back Timor Leste and insist oil and gas giant Woodside not only provide studies on all the processing options for its Greater Sunrise gas fields, but favour the Timorese unless there is a genuine prohibitive obstacle.

"Timor Leste is one of our poorest neighbours," said Senator Brown.

"The Government of Xanana Gusmao is showing real guts in warning Woodside it would rather shelve the Greater Sunrise project than be sidelined," Senator Brown said.

Media contact: Erin Farley 0438 376 082

Bob has been following the progress of a campaign to have the AFP investigate allegations for torture that had been made about a Timor Leste man, Gui Campos, who arrived in Australia during the Catholic Youth Year celebrations.

He has been urging the government to support the AFP to fully investigate the allegations.

When he learned Mr Campos was going to leave Australia he urged the government to retain him until a decision had been made about whether to prosecute him under Australian anti-torture legislation.

Greens Emergency National Phone Link Up

The Greens have held an emergency national phone link to plan further action in the campaign for a free East Timor. The Offices of Greens MPs Senator Bob Brown, Giz Watson MLC , Jim Scott MLC, Lee Rhiannon MLC, Ian Cohen MLC, Peg Putt MLA, Kerrie Tucker MLA and the Greens Party in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland.

The Greens phone link agreed to the following policy response:

1. That the Australian Government should immediately recognise East Timor as a sovereign nation.

Wiranto and militias should be indicted

Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown has called on the United Nations Security Council to investigate atrocities in East Timor by establishing a War Crimes Tribunal similar to those currently dealing with crimes in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.

Senator Brown has written to the United Nations Security Council, urging it to investigate the killings that have occurred in East Timor as a result of the bloody rampages of the militias and military.

The Greens have been flooded with calls today from people asking what they can do to force the Australian and Indonesian Government to take immediate action to stop the violence in East Timor.

Greens have participated in demonstrations in capital cities today.

Senator Brown has written and spoken to the Indonesian embassy (see below) as well as contacting the Prime Minister"s office.

We are advising constituents (see below) to e-mail and fax the Indonesian embassy and the Prime Minister"s" office along similar lines -