Australia's involvement in East Timor
Australian government policy: The Nautilus Institute: http://nautilus.org/publications/books/australian-forces-abroad/east-timor/australian-government-policy-timor-leste/
INTRODUCTION: After supporting a UN-sponsored referendum on self-determination in August 1999, units of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) were deployed to Indonesian-occupied Timor in September 1999, as the leading units in the International Force East Timor (INTERFET).
However Australia’s leading role attracted political controversy, given successive Australian governments’ support for Indonesia’s occupation of the former Portuguese colony between 1975-1999.
Australia’s ongoing operations in Timor are designed to support the Government of Timor-Leste and successive UN peacekeeping and development missions in Timor which have followed the 1999 self-determination referendum and political independence in 2002. The mandate is set out in resolutions of the UN Security Council and a 2007 MOU between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, the United Nations and Australia.
INTRODUCTION: After supporting a UN-sponsored referendum on self-determination in August 1999, units of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) were deployed to Indonesian-occupied Timor in September 1999, as the leading units in the International Force East Timor (INTERFET).
However Australia’s leading role attracted political controversy, given successive Australian governments’ support for Indonesia’s occupation of the former Portuguese colony between 1975-1999.
Australia’s ongoing operations in Timor are designed to support the Government of Timor-Leste and successive UN peacekeeping and development missions in Timor which have followed the 1999 self-determination referendum and political independence in 2002. The mandate is set out in resolutions of the UN Security Council and a 2007 MOU between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, the United Nations and Australia.