Whose Name We Share

48 INTERFET - 1999 East Timor around this time was known as Portuguese Timor and was an overseas province of Portugal for over 300 years. Portugal withdrew from East Timor in 1975 and according to the Australian Guardian , this was the spark that ignited rivalry between local groups. Fretilin forces would eventually declare the country independent after 3 months of brutality and civil unrest. Indonesia invaded 9 days later. 7 th December 1975, the Indonesians invaded East Timor as a part of Operation Lotus. Their ideals flew under the flag of anti-colonialism and the invasion would lead to an occupation that lasted for twenty five years. Indonesia took advantage of the political unrest within Timor to annexe the country, stating they were concerned that an independent Timor, free from Portuguese influence, would turn to a communist country that would pose a threat to the Indonesians. The fighting that ensued caused the deaths of anywhere between 100,000 – 180,000 people – both civilians and soldiers alike. 18,600 of these were violent killings, 84,200 were due to death from disease or starvation. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser was the first to recognise the atrocity of the occupation, but the UN denied it and the world continued to look the other way. The Indonesian President Saharto continued to stage peaceful visits on the world screen, but behind the lens was the violence and atrocities wreaking havoc amongst the East Timorese. In 1991, footage of the Santa Cruz Massacre is leaked where 100 people were shot down at a funeral procession providing a rare glimpse into the true nature of the occupation. Over the next few years freedom fighters who retreated to the mountains were eventually caught and the goal of freedom for the East Timorese slipped further and further away as the violence continued. In 1998, Indonesia experienced heavy street protests – which saw the President resign be replaced by President Habibi, who was open to autonomy for the East Timorese. Back in Darwin, a certain vibe had welcomed the new year of 1999 in. Australia had enjoyed a period of peace for many years at this point in history and so the ADF’s involvement in international concerns at this time was rather minimal compared to the operational theatres of previous decades. The sporadic trip to Somalia or other peacekeeping operations weren’t unheard of at this time, but those opportunities were officer centric. That began to change in 1999 and as early as February it was clear to the upper echelons of the 103 rd Battery that something could be brewing as lead in training began developing from thin air. For those outside the know, the BC included, a feeling or a vibe gripped the Brigade that something was about to go down but nobody was sure what. The UN began talking about a referendum for East Timor and not long after more exercise activity happened, especially in nearby Darwin. These activities began ramping up until they switched gears and a focus on peacekeeping operations came into play. International pressure for a referendum for East Timor grew and on August 30 th The UN oversaw a ballot for independence. 78% of the East Timorese population vote for