Australian troops smile as they prepare to leave East Timor on June 13.

The troops were dispatched in 1999 as part of a U.N. force days after East Timor voted to break free from 24 years of Jakarta rule in a ballot organized by the world body. The vote triggered a rampage by Indonesian troops and their allied militias that left some 1,500 people dead.

Australia, which took the lead role in the mission and contributed some 5,000 troops at its peak, handed over control at a military base with Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri and military officials from both nations in attendance.

The final Australian contingent numbered 120 troops, who were engaged in engineering and infrastructure development. The final group of 40 will leave on June 24.

The Japan Times Weekly: June 18, 2005
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