Physiotherapy tent at a military hospital, established by the Australian Army's 1st Field ...

Physiotherapy tent at a military hospital, established by the Australian Army's 1st Field Hospital (1 Fd Hosp), in the grounds of the Dili museum in the Comoro district. Captain Laws, physiotherapist of Field Surgical Team Heavy (FST HY), treats the a soldier patient who is lying face down on a bed. The role of FST HY, which includes Australian medical staff, is to provide medical support to International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) personnel and high priority cases from the East Timorese population. 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 Australian-led INTERFET. Five months later in February 2000, INTERFET handed control of military operations over to the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), who were to maintain security, establish an effective administration and develop civil and social services.