International Force in East Timor

The International Force in East Timor (INTERFET) was a United Nations peacekeeping mission involving Canadians. The mission ran concurrently with the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) and was created to provide assistance to that mission.

Background

East Timor was colonized by Portugal in the 16th Century and in 1960 the United Nations placed the colony on its list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. After promises by Portugal in 1974 to establish a provisional government, civil war erupted between pro-independence and anti-independence factions. Portugal, unable to control the situation, withdrew. Indonesia responded with a military intervention, claiming East Timor as a 27th province, but this annexation was never recognized by the UN.

In 1982, the United Nations Secretary General began talks with Indonesia and Portugal to resolve the situation. In Jun 1998, Indonesia proposed autonomy for East Timor within Indonesia, and a set of agreements were signed in New York in May 1999. The United Nations, entrusted with the organization of a consultation with the East Timor people about autonomy within the Republic of Indonesia, established the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) on 11 Jun 1999 to carry it out. The mission registered 451,000 voters, and on 30 Aug 1999 some ninety eight percent of those registered voted to reject the autonomy in favour of a move towards independence.

The vote resulted in widespread violence in the region, between pro-integration militias (sometimes with the help of security forces from Indonesia) resulting in many deaths and displacements. In all some 250,000 East Timorese left or were forced out of the country. Indonesia formally recognized the result of the vote on 19 Oct 1999.

A Security Council Mission visit to the region concluded on 12 Sep 1999 and Indonesia accepted an offer of assistance. INTERFET was authorized under Australian command, tasked to lend protection and assistance to UNAMET, as well as the restoration of peace and security as well as humanitarian aid.

INTERFET engaged in humanitarian airdrops, deploying relief workers, and repatriating citizens from West Timor and other areas in the absence of Indonesian police, military and administrative personnel who left after the first outbreaks of violence.

The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) was established in 1999 following the result of the vote and on 28 Feb 2000, INTERFET handed command of military operations to that mission.

Mandate

In response to the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in East Timor, INTERFET was created in Sep 1999 in response to Security Council Resolution 1264 (1999) to re-establish order in the region. INTERFET began to hand over its responsibilities to a United Nations mission, the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), on 1 Feb 2000 and completed the transition at the end of that month.

Canadian Military Involvement

The number of personnel committed peaked at 650 in late Oct and early Nov. The 280-strong reinforced infantry company (largely drawn from 3e Bataillon Royal 22e Régiment) was transferred to the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) on 21 Feb 2000, bringing Canadian participation in INTERFET to a close.

The CBC website described the mission thusly:

The Royal 22nd's introduction to East Timor is not at all pleasant. True, there are fewer mortal dangers than in Korea or Bosnia, but the irritants are innumerable. The daytime brings scorching heat. The night brings mud, spiders and scorpions – and the troops are sleeping on the ground. Monsoon season is coming. And as reporter Mike Smith reveals...the communications lines are muddier than the terrain.

 

The Van Doos are part of an international security force called INTERFET, serving in a battalion of New Zealanders reporting to Australians. The Van Doos soldiers speak French among themselves. The locals speak Portuguese or any of 16 indigenous languages. The interpreters are Malaysian. Getting your point across can be just as difficult as surviving a night in a "hoochie" without a hammock.

Country	Contribution
Argentina	50 troops.
Australia	B Squadron, the 3rd/4th Cavalry Regiment Air support included, RAAF FA18, F111, FA18, PC9 and P3s. 2 x B707 of 33 Squadron 9 x C-130 of 36 and 37 Squadrons 15 x S-70A of 1st and 5th Aviation Regiments Bell 206B-1s of 161(R) Squadron UH-1Hs of 171(GS) Squadron 161 Recce Sqn No 2 Airfield Defence Squadron (2AFDS) RAAF 2RAR 3rd Australian Brigade 3RAR 5th/7th RAR Force Prep Unit SAS HMAS Adelaide HMAS Anzac (Frigate) HMAS Balikpapan (Heavy Landing Craft) HMAS Brunei (landing craft) HMAS Darwin HMAS Farncomb (submarine, landed frogmen at Suai) HMAS Jervis Bay (Catamaran) HMAS Labuan HMAS Success HMAS Sydney HMAS Tarakan HMAS Tobruk (Heavy Lift) HMAS Waller (submarine, escorted fleet through Timor Sea to Dili) HMAS Westralia
Brazil	30 to 50 military police.
Canada	600 military personnel on a a six-month tour. 250 sailors from HMCS Protecteur Naval replenishment ship 250-strong light infantry company group largely from the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment Approximately 100 air force personnel with two CC-130 Hercules transport aircraft from 8 Wing Trenton.
Denmark	?
Egypt	?
Fiji	191 troops attached to New Zealand units
France	500 troops and a frigate to the region, also one field surgery, including 12 surgeons and two doctors. 3 x C-130 4 x Puma FNS Vendemiaire (frigate), later relieved by FNS Prairial (frigate) FNS Siroco (Dock landing Ship) French Marines.
Germany	Medical unit (100 troops)
Ireland	ARW detachment numbering 30 personnel, known as the No. 1 Irish Contingent. The Irish Component Headquarters will be supported by the National Support Element, (NSE).
Italy	600 military personnel, including tactical group of 200 paratroops, transport aircraft and amphibious naval unit on a vessel with hospital facilities, on-board helicopters and transport aircraft
Jordan	Over 700 Jordanian troops arrived during Interfet and replaced Australian troops in the Oecussi enclave of East Timor in February 2000.
Kenya	1 Army Company Medical unit (100 troops)
Malaysia	Malaysia has said it will send a team of military officers to join the multinational force, after earlier refusing because of Australia's leading role.
Mozambique	?
Nepal	158 troops attached to NZ units at Suai, At least three troops killed.
New Zealand	5 Iroqois helicopters of No.3 squadron at Suai, East Timor. Hercules and Boeing transport aircraft of No.40 Squadron provide regular re-supply flights to and from East Timor. 2 x C-130 RNZAF chartered a 747 in Sept ‘99. 3200 NZ military personnel served in ET divided into 6 Battalion Groups, with only one serving at a time, and rotating at 6 month intervals. (The force being made up from both the Regular and Territorial Forces of all service arms) The NZSAS were also used in Timor. NZ Supplied 19 Customs Officers for border control service in Timor. NZ supplied over 45 Police and Prison Officers for service in Timor. There were at least 12 Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries (MAF) staff seconded for quarantine duties in Timor. A private Airline (Vincent Airline) supplied one aircraft and 6 crew for the transporting of military personnel between Timor and Darwin, Australia. NZ supplied the following military ships -    HMNZS Canterbury (Approx 250 crew).    HMNZS Te Kaha (Approx 170 crew).    HMNZS Endeavour (Approx 35 crew). MV Edisongracht chartered by NZ to carry freight and equipment. MV Edamgracht chartered by NZ to carry freight and equipment. 4 NZ peacekeepers lost their lives as a result of their service in Timor.
Norway	Five officers.
Philippines	1,200 army engineers, medical and other support troops to the multinational peacekeeping force. 2 x C-130 Elements of Scout Ranger Regiment
Republic of Korea	400-stong infantry battalion to East Timor in what would be the first ever deployment of South Korean combat troops for peacekeeping operations abroad.
Singapore	Medical detachment 1 x C-130 RSS Excellence (LST) RSS Perseverance (LST) RSS Intrepid (LST)
Sweden	Civilian police officers and $1.2m in aid.
Thailand	Ultimately to deploy more than 1,000 personnel, including combat troops, engineers, medics and technicians. Thai Major-General Songkitti Chakkrabhat is the mission's deputy commander.
United Kingdom	2 x C-130 1 x VC-10 HMS Glasgow 270 Gurkhas from 2 Royal Gurkha Rifles Party of SBS troops.
United States	200 military personnel, half of whom will serve on the ground in East Timor, and support from Pacific Fleet. The US also transported troops from other nations and helped with logistics, communications and intelligence.  1 x EP-3C based at RAAF Tindal Members of the US Marines US Marine Sea Stallion Helicopters USS Belleau Wood (LHA 3) USNS Kilauea (T-AE 26) ammunition ship. USS Mobile Bay (Cruiser) USS Pelelieu USS San Jose

Insignia

The qualifying period of service is 30 days cumulative service in the area of operations, and the area of operations for CF personnel included East Timor, the sea adjacent to East Timor to a distance of 12 nautical miles; and the CF staging base at Darwin, Australia.

Approximately 760 have been awarded to members of the Canadian Forces. The ribbon colours are drawn from white, green and blue representing the [Australian] Navy, Army and Air Force, but having dual representations of:

• white for peace

• blue for the sea surrounding East Timor

• green for the regrowth of a new nation

• The red stripe represented the turbulent past of East Timor