| Place | Asia: East Timor |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | P10790.001 |
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Digital file TIFF |
| Maker |
Bohane, Ben |
| Place made | East Timor |
| Date made | September 1999 |
| Conflict |
East Timor, 1999-2013 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: AWM Licensed copyright |
Portrait of Taur Matan Rauk (Jose Maria Vasconcelos) taken in September 1999 during the first weeks of the International Forces in East Timor (INTERFET) mission in East Timor
Description
Portrait of Taur Matan Rauk (Jose Maria Vasconcelos) taken in September 1999 during the first weeks of the International Forces in East Timor (INTERFET) mission in East Timor. With the Indonesian invasion of East Timor on 7 December 1975, Rauk joined the recently formed Falantil army. As a combatant he participated in battles against the Indonesian military in Dili, Aileu, Maubisse, Ossu, Venilale, Uatulair and finally in Laga on the north eastern coast, where he eventually stayed. Rauk rose through the ranks of the Falantil army to become Major General in 2009. He resigned from his position as commander of the Falantil on 1 September 2011. On the 20 May 2012 Rauk was sworn in as President of East Timor, the very same day that East Timor marked the tenth anniversary of independence.
Australia's contribution to the INTERFET mission was to restore peace and security, and protect and support the United Nations Missions in East Timor (UNAMET). 5,500 personnel under the command of Major General Peter Cosgrove, were deployed to East Timor from 20 September 1999, as a non-United Nations force operating in accordance with United Nations Resolutions.