Australian soldiers of Headquarters, 3rd Brigade, members of the International Force for East ...

Australian soldiers of Headquarters, 3rd Brigade, members of the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) headed towards Suai Loro in a landing craft at 9:30am. 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, the first coalition force began deploying to East Timor as part of the Australian-led force known as INTERFET. Five months later, INTERFET handed control of military operations over to a new UN force, United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), who were to maintain security, establish an effective administration and develop civil and social services.