Post 1945, South East Asia. Timor l'Este / East Timor, INTERFET, Amenities, 1999

On 15 September 1999, the UN Security Council authorised the formation of a multinational force known as INTERFET. It was headed by Australia, with a mission to: restore peace and security in East Timor. INTERFET began landing in East Timor on 20 September 1999 with the agreement of the Indonesian Government. By November 1999, 22 nations had contributed to INTERFET, including the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. The Australian operations were known as Operation Stabilise and Operation Warden. The Australian Government sent about 5,500 service people to East Timor as part of its contribution to INTERFET. This was the largest deployment of Australian troops since the Vietnam War.