| Accession Number | P03605.085 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Negative |
| Maker |
Immig, John |
| Place made | East Timor: Dili |
| Date made | January 2000 |
| Conflict |
East Timor, 1999-2013 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial
This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
|
A detainee is processed in an arrivals area at the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) ...
Description
A detainee is processed in an arrivals area at the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) Force Detention Centre (FDC), which holds East Timorese civilians on serious charges, many of which are related to the violence which followed the September 1999 independence ballot. Left to right: Ito, an East Timorese interpreter; Australian Medical Officer, Captain Bartrum; East Timorese detainee; and Sergeant Robert Jeffers, 41st Military Police Platoon (41 MP PL), Royal Australian Corps of Military Police. Members of 41 MP PL are working on controlling violence and confiscating weapons in East Timor. Following the overwhelming vote for independence by the East Timorese on 30 August 1999 in the United Nations (UN) sponsored referendum, the pro-Indonesian militia launched a campaign of destruction, arson and murder, killing approximately 1500 people and forcing 300 000 others into West Timor as refugees. On 15 September, the UN issued a resolution, calling for a multinational force to restore peace and security and facilitate humanitarian assistance operations. By 20 September 1999, the first coalition force began deploying to East Timor as part of INTERFET.