At an Australian military check point in Dili, militia suspects are searched as they lie on the ...

At an Australian military check point in Dili, militia suspects are searched as they lie on the street, before being arrested and taken in for questioning. Identified, on right, is Lance Corporal Derek Baban, 3RAR. Following the announcement of the pro-independence ballot result in September 1999, the pro-Indonesian militia launched a campaign of arson, murder and destruction. Shortly afterwards, on 20 September, the first Australian troops were deployed to East Timor as part of the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET), an Australian led international mission to bring peace and stability to East Timor under the United Nations mandate. Photographer Stephen Dupont later recalled: “It was complete chaos. Indonesian soldiers were setting fire to their barracks and destroying as much infrastructure as possible. Pro-Indonesian militias were also running rampant around the city. It was a confusing time for everyone and the Australian forces were patrolling the streets and arresting militia suspects. I was down on the waterfront area, close to the Makota Hotel with my good friend David Dare Parker. It was dusk and suddenly we saw Australian soldiers chase some young men down a side street and surround them. There were fires blazing around the street and the soldiers pinned down several men, one had a machete. David and I photographed the entire event unfolding in front of our cameras. It was incredibly tense and made for strong pictures. The suspects were rounded up and cuffed and led away.”