Twenty-five years ago, on 20 September 1999, the first New Zealand troops arrived in Timor-Leste (East Timor) as part of a United Nations-sanctioned multinational operation to restore peace and security to the country. Over two periods, from 1999 to 2002 and from 2006 to 2012, approximately 7,000 New Zealanders deployed to Timor-Leste, first to support the country in its transition to independence and then again after violence broke out in 2006. 

The New Zealand government agreed to participate in the peace support operation in the wake of a referendum in August 1999 in which 78% of voters opted for independence from Indonesia over autonomy within the country. The announcement of the result prompted an outbreak of violence and widespread destruction by pro-Indonesian militia, in which more than one thousand civilians were killed and towns and villages destroyed.   

New Zealand had provided five military liaison officers and 10 civilian police to the United Nations Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET), which had conducted the referendum. As the violence intensified, the unarmed personnel of UNAMET came under threat, and the New Zealand Defence Force was called upon to help evacuate UNAMET staff and displaced locals who had taken refuge at their headquarters in the capital, Dili. 

International Force East Timor (INTERFET), was established in September with the task of restoring order ahead of further UN action. Led by Australia, the force comprised personnel from more than 20 countries, including New Zealand. From February 2000, INTERFET forces came under the control of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), which had ultimate responsibility for handling the transition to independence. 

Members of New Zealand’s Special Air Service (SAS) were among the first troops to land in Timor-Leste, helping to secure Dili airport and port, so that INTERFET could land further personnel, supplies and equipment. The force faced a daunting task; militia groups had wreaked havoc in the wake of the referendum, destroying buildings and other key infrastructure, while hundreds of thousands had been forced from their homes.

New Zealand was among the largest contributors to the peace support operation. In addition to the SAS detachment, the military deployed an infantry battalion, air transport and helicopter support, and three naval ships. At various points the battalion group included sub-units from Canada, Ireland, Nepal, Fiji and Singapore. The operation was also notable as one of the first times that New Zealand’s female soldiers were deployed in combat roles. Approximately 5,000 New Zealand military personnel served in Timor-Leste between 1999 and 2002, making it the country’s largest military deployment since the Korean War. 

New Zealand’s forces were primarily based at Suai, in the Cova Lima district, on the south coast. They were responsible for monitoring military activity in the area and carrying out regular patrols, including along the dangerous southern part of the border with Indonesia. The mountainous terrain, poor infrastructure, difficult supply routes, limited communications, and destruction caused by retreating militia groups added complexity to an already difficult task. 

Patrols encountered militia groups on a number of occasions, and during one incident, in July 2000, a New Zealand soldier was shot and killed – the country’s first combat casualty since the Vietnam War. Four other New Zealanders also died while serving in Timor-Leste, as did three others from Fiji, Ireland and Nepal who were serving under New Zealand command. 

In addition to providing security to the Cova Lima district, New Zealand personnel took on other reconstruction and humanitarian assistance tasks. They worked on local construction projects to reestablish schools, churches, health clinics, and electricity and water supplies, provided medical aid to the local population, and helped to process refugees returning from Indonesian West Timor. They also supported Timor-Leste’s first elections in August 2001 and helped establish and develop the new Timor-Leste military. A number of New Zealand civilians – including police and prison officers, legal staff, medical professionals and other specialist experts – served alongside their defence force counterparts in the peace support operation. Their efforts allowed the Timorese people to begin to rebuild their lives. 

Timor-Leste became an independent country on 20 May 2002. New Zealand’s presence was significantly scaled back after that, with most personnel withdrawn by November. A small contingent remained to provide training assistance to the Timor-Leste military and to support continuing UN operations. In 2006, after riots erupted in Dili, a number of locals sought refuge at the New Zealand embassy and defence force and police personnel were quickly deployed to Timor-Leste to assist in the restoration of peace and security.  All New Zealand personnel were finally withdrawn in December 2012. Today, the New Zealand Defence Force continues to provide training assistance and advisors to the Timor-Leste military.

New Zealand’s involvement in peace support operations in Timor-Leste has led to a warm and enduring relationship with the Timor-Leste government and the Timorese people. For close to a decade New Zealand personnel dedicated themselves to the development of Timor-Leste as it became the first new independent nation of the 21st century.