This is an account of the participation of the Australian Defence Forces in the INTERFET peacekeeping operation in East Timor.
When the great majority of the East Timorese people answered "no" to the question "Do you accept the proposal for special autonomy for East Timor within the state of the Republic of Indonesia?" the United Nations embarked on a multi-nation peacekeeping operation to assist in the transition of East Timor to independent nationhood.
Australia, through the contribution of the Australian Defence Forces, was the major contributor to the early stages of this operation. The Australian forces were the first to arrive and their first task was to secure the airport in Dili.
This is the story of the Australian contribution to one of the most successful interventions by the international community to protect human rights and the outcomes of a democratic process since the establishment of the UN. It is a story of which all Australians can feel proud as their forces displayed discipline and restraint in the face of provocation, applied lethal force when required, and accomplished their threefold mission.
