.png)
Some 200 Western Australians came together on the 20th of September 2024 for a commemorative service at the State War Memorial in Kings Park and Botanic Gardens to mark the 25th anniversary of Australian service in Timor-Leste from 1999. The afternoon service was hosted by RSL WA, welcoming all veterans, their families, and the wider community to remember the many people affected by conflict in Timor-Leste and lay a wreath or floral tribute.
His Excellency the Hon Chris Dawson AC APM, Governor of Western Australia led dignitaries including Senator Louise Pratt, representing the Hon Matt Keogh MP Minister for Veteran's Affairs and Defence Personnel and the Hon Paul Papalia CSC MLA, Minister for Defence Industry and Veterans’ Issues representing Premier Roger Cook. Also present was Ms Libby Mettam MLA, Leader of the WA Liberal Party.
Senior officers from the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force were joined by representatives from the Australian Federal Police and the Western Australian Police Force. Also attending the service were representatives of the consular corps from contributing nations.
This WA service in Kings Park include a special address from guest speaker, Domingos de Oliveira, former Secretary-General of the East Timorese political group Democratic Union of East-Timor (UDT). On behalf of Mr de Oliveira, his daughter Tika Baxter delivered his speech.
Tika said, “Today is a celebration when we remember those 188,000 who died for independent East Timor and gave us the courage to honour their unnecessary deaths on the day of the referendum on 30th of August 1999. We also pay respects for those that died and lost their lives in East Timor. It is also a day to thank the women and men who served not only for Australia but all the nations that helped us maintain what we had achieved through our historic referendum. A referendum in which truth and justice prevailed.”
De Oliveira’s wife and two daughters fled as refugees in 1975, but he decided to stay behind during the civil war. He was later reunited with his wife and daughters in Perth after five long years of suffering and separation. On the 19th of May 2024, Domingos de Oliveira was awarded the Order of Timor-Leste insignia in recognition of significant contributions to national peace and stability from the President of the Republic of Timor-Leste, Dr. Ramos Horta.
The second guest speaker, Mr Nigel Earnshaw, President of the Cottesloe RSL Sub-Branch, served in the Australian Army from 1991 to 2021 as an infantry soldier and officer variously in the first and second battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment. He was deployed to operations in East Timor, South Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Iraq, and Afghanistan. “… thank you all for coming. To the veterans who had their feet on the soil in Timor, or offshore in the air, or in the water - well done. It’s been 25 years. Let’s meet here in another 25 years and just keep moving forward and be proud of what you have done.” said Mr Earnshaw.
The Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) hosted a national commemorative service at Peacekeeping Memorial in Canberra on the 20th of September 2024 at 9:30 am AEST. This was broadcasted by the ABC and is available to watch online (ABC iview).
In 1999, Australia led an international peacekeeping force (INTERFET) in East Timor to prevent violence against civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid in the largest Australian deployment since the Second World War. Thousands of Australian troops landed in East Timor alongside 22 other participating United Nations. 50 personnel from the Australian Federal Police were among the first on ground to assist (UNAMET). Australia proudly played a central role supporting the Timorese people to establish independence as the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.
Six Australians died while serving in Timor-Leste along with hundreds of Timorese people on the road to independence. These six Australians are recorded on the National Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial. Lance Corporal Russell Eisenhuth, Sergeant Andrew Emmerton, Corporal Stuart Jones, Australian Private Ashley Baker, Craftsman Beau Pridue, and Sergeant Brett Kinloch.
The relationship between Australia and the Timorese people dates back to the Second World War in 1942, when locals provided food, shelter, and porters for Australian soldiers engaging an invading Japanese force. Many Timorese people were tragically executed for helping Australians. In this campaign, 100 Australians were killed, 130 wounded, and later more than 280 died in captivity.
Sources:
DVA (Department of Veterans' Affairs) (2024 ), Australian peacekeepers in East Timor from 1999 to 2013, DVA Anzac Portal, accessed 19 September 2024, https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/peacekeeping/summaries/east-timor-1999-2013
DVA (Departmentof Veterans' Affairs), 2020. Timor-Leste – Second World War. https://www.dva.gov.au/newsroom/media-centre/media-backgrounders/timor-leste-second-world-war
