3.+An+Australian+Achievement+within+the+UN

**Resources**
Retroactive 2 (3rd Edition)

**Location**
East Timor is located in the eastern part of Timor Island which lies between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. The country includes the nearby Atauro and Jaco Islands and Oceussi Ambeno within the Indonesian West Timor. The location of East Timor is pretty interesting. It actually forms an arc between Asia and Australia. When we see the location of EastTimor, we find that it is only 640 kilometers northeast of Australia. This south East Asian country's official name is Democratic Republic of Timor Les

Portugal ruled East Timor from the sixteenth century. In 1974, civil war broke out between those who wanted independence and those who wanted to become part of Indonesia. Portugal left. In 1975, East Timor declared its independence. Within weeks of this announcement, Indonesia invaded East Timor and incorporated it into Indonesia territory where it remained for many than 20 years. East Timor became the 27th province. Indonesia ruled harshly and responded violently to guerilla warfare from pro-independence groups. As many as 200,000 East Timorese died from malnutrition or murder during the period of Indonesian occupation. In 1998, President Suharno resigned and new President Habibie was instated. From an Australia perspective, Prime Minister John Howard and his Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer wrote a letter to President Habibie urging him to consider giving East Timor special autonomy or even independence. President Habibie was slighlt offended and in return announced a referendum. Indonesia was also being watched by other world powers and responded to UN pressure and offered to allow the East Timorese a vote on their future status.
 * The History**

President Habibie was advised to have the referendum overseen by UNAMET and although this occurred, President Habibie said the Indonesian Military would be offended.

**The 1999 East Timor Crisis** On 30 August 1999, people voted in a referendum offering them a choice between:
 * acceptance of special autonomy status within Indonesia
 * rejection of this to move towards full independence from Indonesia.

The referendum result, with 78.5% of the population voting for the second option, confirmed the East Timorese people’s overwhelming support for full independence.

Indonesian-backed pro-integration militias refused to accept this. They embarked on a horrific campaign of violence, rape, looting and arson that resulted in the massacre of an unknown number of civilians and the destruction of housing, schools, irrigation systems, and water and electricity supplies. This forced between 200,000 and 400,000 East Timorese to take refuge in camps in Indonesian West Timor or flee and hide in the mountains. Under pressure from Australia, the UN and negative world opinion, Indonesian President Habibie formally requested UN assistance to resolve the crisis.



On 15 1999 the UN Security Council issued UNSC 1264. This provided the mandate to establish INTERFET with forces from 17 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Canada, the United States, France, the Philippines and Thailand, all under Australian leadership. Australia provided 5500 personnel out of a total of 9900 and also the force commander, Major-General Peter Cosgrove. INTERFET’s tasks were to tackle the crisis while awaiting an official peacekeeping force and:

INTERFET troops, with naval and air support, began arriving in Dili, the East Timorese capital, on 20 September 1999. The first troops arrive by air and set about securing the port of Dili in time for the arrival of HMAS //Jervis Bay// the following day. Troops moved to establish their authority in Dili through:
 * end violence
 * restore security
 * provide humanitarian aid
 * help displaced people to return to their homes
 * restore the infrastructure that the militia had destroyed
 * infantry patrols
 * vehicle check points (VCPs)
 * capturing and disarming militias
 * dismantling TNI (the Indonesian military) road blocks

Everywhere they went they encountered bodies of people who had been murdered and mutilated and saw the damage that militias had inflicted on East Timor’s infrastructure.

The forces followed a pattern of gaining control of key areas from which infantry, with helicopter and armoured vehicle support, could spread out and establish a wider area under INTERFET control. On 22 September, they undertook an air mobile operation to gain control of the airfield Baucau, 127 kilometres east of Dili and East Timor’s second largest town.

In late September Eurico Guterres, one of the militia leaders, announced their intention to wage war on INTERFET. On 27 September, helicopters provided aerial support for 150 troops who took control of the village of Liquica and captured the 30 militia members and their weapons. Liquica, 3o kilometers west of Dili, had been the centre of the militia groups that had engaged in a terror campaign in the capital.

In mid-October 1999, an Associated Press cameraman showed footage of Guterres and 150 of his Aitarak militia armed with machine guns not far from Liquica. The incident highlighted the problem of militias, incorporating TNI members, continually moving back and forth across the border with West Timor, only to reappear in areas, which INTERFET had previously judged to be safe.

INTERFET began to focus on the 172 kilometre western border area. From 1 October, as part of Operation Lavarack, Blackhawk helicopters dropped Australian soldiers into the western area of East Timor. Landing craft and armoured vehicles provided additional support.

They took control of Balibo, just near the border and established a strong military presence there. Next, Australian forces landed at the Oecussi enclave to assert their control of the East Timorese territory within West Timor. An Australian Clearance Diving Team came in ahead of them to ensure that the beach was clear of mines and any booby traps that the militias might have placed there.

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On 19 October, the Indonesian Government formally announced its recognition of the referendum result. Six days later, on 25 October 1999, the UN established UNTAET – the United Nations Transitional Authority in East Timor – to form a provisional government and oversee East Timor’s transition to independence. ======

By late October, INTERFET had largely secured the territory of East Timor. As areas became safe, people began to slowly return to their communities.
InterFET troops remained in place until 28 February 2000 when it transferred its military operations to UNTAET.

**Assessing the achievement** Australian involvement in INTERFET was its largest military operation since World War II. Australia provided most of the troops required and its Blackhawk helicopters provided most of the transport needed to deploy and retrieve troops, especially along the border region. Australia’s leadership under Major-General Cosgrove, was effective and professional in gradually asserting its authority over and restoring peace to East Timor.

INTERFET remained in East Timor until 28 February 2000 – just over 5 months. It succeeded in restoring security and therefore saved lives. INTERFET also:


 * organised and facilitated extensive food distribution and the distribution of maize and rice seed
 * provided transport to help over 160,000 people to return from West Timor to their new communities
 * enabled the majority of primary schools to reopen
 * distributed 250,000 tarpaulins to provide shelter until homes could be rebuilt
 * supported humanitarian groups providing medical and other assistance

UNTAET gave way to UNMISET, the UN Mission of Support in East Timor. Its task – to assist East Timor to develop the administrative structures its government would need – was completed in 2005. During this period East Timor changed its name to Timor-Leste.