| Accession Number | P04504.031 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Digital file TIFF |
| Maker |
Parker, David Dare |
| Place made | East Timor: Dili |
| Date made | c 30 August 1999 |
| Conflict |
East Timor, 1999-2013 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: AWM Licensed copyright |
| Copying Provisions | Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction. |
Three members of the United Nations Assistance Mission to East Timor (UNAMET), following voting ...
Description
Three members of the United Nations Assistance Mission to East Timor (UNAMET), following voting in the referendum. Boxes full of uncounted ballot papers are behind them. UNAMET was responsible for organising the referendum, held on 30 August 1999, which offered the East Timorese people the choice between autonomy within Indonesia, and independence. The result was a clear majority - 78.5% - in favour of independence. In the face of intimidation of voters by anti-independence militias, UNAMET made the decision to mix the ballot papers from different areas before counting them, in order to discourage reprisals against pro-independence areas. Neverthless, widespread violence by miitias followed the announcement of the referendum result, leading to the decision to send the Australian led International Force for East Timor (INTERFET), a peace keeping force under United Nations supervision, to East Timor.