Australia ends era in East Timor

CANBERRA - An era of recent Australian military operations ends next week when the flag is lowered at the Moleana forward operating base in East Timor and the base is handed over to the East Timorese military.

This marks the end of Australia's peacekeeping involvement in what's now the independent nation of Timor Leste.

That all started in the early hours of September 20, 1999 when the first RAAF C-130 touched down and disgorged Australian troops at Dili airport.

They entered a depopulated and devastated city, still smouldering from the depredations of the Indonesian-sponsored militia groups, outraged that the vast majority of East Timorese people had voted for independence over sticking with Indonesia.

This end of Australian peacekeeping involvement in East Timor closely coincides with the career end of General Peter Cosgrove, the initial International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) commander, who retires as defence chief on July 4.

The Moleana handover will be conducted on Monday with the ceremony to be attended by Timor Leste Prime Minister Dr Mari Alkatiri, UN special representative Dr Sukehiro Hasegawa and Australian army land commander Major General Ken Gillespie.

Presiding over the occasion will be Lieutenant Colonel Brian Cox who said Australia could look back with pride at what had been achieved over the last six years.
"It has been a privilege and an honour to be here as the last Australian national commander in Timor. This symbolises the end of the peacekeeping mission here. We have come a long way," he said from Moleana today.

"Once that has been completed, I will then be extracting my team."

"That's it. It will be the end of an era. It's great in some ways. We came here in very difficult circumstances. Australia has significantly contributed to the security of this nation. We are leaving them in a position where they can actually grow and prosper."

"The Australian Defence Force members I have had the privilege to lead are all proud of their efforts here and the efforts of the ADF members who have come before them."

The final Australian contingent numbered 120 were engaged in engineering and infrastructure development. About 80 departed last week and the remainder will progressively withdraw with Colonel Cox leading the final group home on June 24.

However about two dozen Australian troops will remain to continue training the East Timorese military under the separate defence cooperation program.

At the peak in 1999, there were some 5,000 Australian soldiers in East Timor.

The mission cost two Australian lives -- Lance Corporal Russell Eisenhuth, who died of respiratory illness in Dili in January 2000 and Corporal Stuart Jones who died in August 2000 when a rifle accidentally discharged as he and fellow soldiers travelled in an armoured vehicle over rough country near the border with Indonesian West Timor.

The East Timor operation is regarded as a complete success, although the country still faces grave challenges in its future development.

Colonel Cox said his troops had made a significant contribution to rebuilding of roads, communications, medical services and other infrastructure.

What was once regarded as a major threat to East Timor, militia remnants in camps across the border, has simply faded away.

"Since I have been here, there has been no mention of militia activity. Certainly since I have been here we have had no problems," he said.

"The repetitive comment I have had in all my intelligence reports with the UN is calm and stable."

- AAP